Search For the Shinzaho: Take Two
by Kei-chan1
Summary: A revision of "Search for the Shinzaho." An AU fic centering around the OC Jiyuna. Includes a lot of fighting, a bizarre triangle, and lots of humor!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimers:  I own Jiyuna… and no one else… plus I'm poor.

Search For the Shinzaho: Take Two

_Chapter One: Meet Jiyuna_

Warnings:  Tasuki/Jiyuna language.  They have such dirty mouths, and later on, a bit o' sexy-sexy.

Author's Notes:  I'm sorry to have to do it, but I must… this is a revision of my fic Search for the Shinzaho.  Those of you who have read it, eh, it was okay.  After looking over it one day, I decided… must fix must fix! (in exactly that crazed way…) so, I'm reposting it.  There are a lot of big differences, a lot of slight differences, and a lot of the same stuff.  Those of you who haven't read the first draft…. You didn't miss much.  Enjoy!

-----

It was a beautiful afternoon in Konan.  The birds were singing, the sun was shining brightly, a warm breeze ruffled the trees.  To one girl stumbling through the crowded streets of Eiyo, however, it was anything but a beautiful day.

The bustle of the city overwhelmed her, so she ducked into an alley and leaned heavily against the side of a building. Thinking back to the past few days, a terrible sorrow filled the girl, and one lonely tear slid down her cheek. Her mother, whom she had tried so desperately to save, was killed at the hands of the blonde man. Killed… for what reason? They had lived in a tiny village where they farmed the emperor's land. They had not once been inside the city gates, in fact, they barely ever heard any of the city's news. When the news finally did reach them, it was already months after it had happened. So why did the tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes show up at their 2-room house and demand the shinzaho? What was this shinzaho anyway?  
  


The sadness she felt was replaced with anger.  Whatever the shinzaho was, it didn't matter, not any more.  Mother was dead, and she had nearly been killed escaping.  When a blue light flew from the man's hand, and Mother was dead, she had run.  She kicked open the back door and sprinted for the woods.

_You didn't save her, Jiyuna, and you can't bring her back._

She groaned, clutched her left side tightly.  Jiyuna knew she hadn't quite managed the perfect escape.  Before she reached the trees, the blonde man had let that blue light fly from his fingertips, and it had struck her right below the ribs.  The pain was excruciating, but she hadn't stopped, hadn't paused as she ran toward the road that would take her to the city.  Now, the pain was beginning to become unbearable, and she still hadn't reached her destination.

_I must get to the palace_, she reminded herself, pushing off the wall with her free hand and stumbling out of the alley.

"Well, well, what have we here?"

Startled by the voice, Jiyuna looked up, realized she had just wandered into a dead end, and a gang of street thieves.  _Baka_, she thought, _aren't you the smart one?_

There were six of them, standing in a kind of line, with one crouched on the ground in the middle.  He was the leader, she deduced, by the way the others flanked him.  He rose in a fluid, cat-like motion, smiled what was supposed to be charmingly, and looked only menacing.  "What's your name, child?" he asked quietly.

Jiyuna took a step backward.  Oh, she was in trouble.  Six of them, one of her, and she was injured to boot.  Oh yes, she was in deep trouble.

The leader sighed impatiently.  "I asked you a question, bitch!  What's your name?"

_If I can make it back to the marketplace, where there are a lot of people, they'll leave… I hope, _she thought, still ignoring the question from the leader.

"Answer me, or you're gonna get cut," he said, inching forward, and brandishing a knife.

Jiyuna smiled serenely at the men, took a silent deep breath.  "Fuck you!" she spat, then spun and began to run.

She didn't look back, she didn't need to.  She could hear six pairs of booted feet pounding down the alley after her, the men making snide comments to each other as they ran.

The pain in her side was nearly unbearable.  She put a hand to it, pulled it away.  Bright, crimson blood covered her palm.  She was in serious, serious trouble.

_Where are all the people?_ she wondered.  Five minutes ago, she'd been overwhelmed at the amount of inhabitants the city had.  Now, there wasn't a soul in sight.  That fact scared her.  It meant she'd gone the wrong way, and was going deeper into the territory of the thieves.  _I'm not going to make it,_ she realized with a start.  _I have no idea where I am, and I can feel myself slowing down._

Her breath was coming in ragged gasps, and every intake of air caused a sharp, stabbing pain in her side.  Her heart was pounding against her ribcage, and she knew she could run no more.

She turned a corner, cried out as her foot struck a rock, and she went careening toward the ground.  At the last second, she got her arms under her and cushioned the fall a little.  Jiyuna knew she wouldn't be getting back up.  The thieves were upon her, and she was dead.

Better they than that blonde man with the unnatural blue eyes.

A hand was fisted in her hair, and pulled her head back painfully.

"I'm going to make you pay for that, little girl," the Thief Leader said, his mouth touching her ear.  Jiyuna felt the cold metal of the knife on her neck, closed her eyes against the evil looks of the men surrounding her.

Suddenly, she heard a commotion and a voice boom above the others.

"LEKKA... SHIIIIIIEEEEEN!!!"

Heat blasted over her, and she smelled smoke in the air.  The leader of the thieves had released his hold on her, and the knife was gone, as well.  The alley became quiet, surreally quiet.  Jiyuna chanced opening her eyes.  The six thieves lay around her, burned black.

"Are you okay, no da?"

She rolled onto her back, looked into a cheery, yet concerned, face.  "I..." she swallowed, squeezed her eyes shut.  "I don't think so," she whispered.  Her voice felt thick, like the words coming out were made of syrup.  A noise rose in her ears, what sounded like rushing water that got louder and louder.  Another voice was heard, but the words were almost lost in that deafening roar of water.

"'Ey, Chichiri, let's get her to Mitsukake."

Then Jiyuna passed out.

-----

"She'll be fine.  It seems the reason she passed out was more due to sheer exhaustion than the wound itself."

"Did you heal her, Mitsukake?" Miaka asked, anxiously looking over his shoulder at the girl who lay in the bed.

The tall doctor swallowed.  "No, not with my powers, but I did what any doctor would.  I cleaned and dressed the wound, adding some herbs to take the pain away."

All seven seishi, including Miaka, were standing at the foot of the bed where the young girl Tasuki and Chichiri had brought back to the palace was lying.

"I wonder who she is," the miko said.  "She's beautiful."

As the others nodded in agreement, Tasuki snorted.  "Are we sure she's a woman?"

The figure lying in the bed had long, straight, dark red hair, and the way sheet clung to her slender body left little doubt that she was, in fact, a woman.  Nuriko gave a Tasuki a not so gentle smack to the back of his head, sent him sailing across the room.  "Don't be rude, Tasuki-chan."

The bandit picked himself off the floor, rubbed his head, and muttered a few vulgar words.  "Who's being rude now?" he said in a low voice.

Hotohori stared at the young woman, at the long silky-looking hair, the long lashes, the creamy white skin and angular features.  It was amazing, he thought.  He'd fallen madly in love with Miaka the moment he saw her, but this woman, who appeared the completely opposite of the miko, gave the emperor hope that perhaps, he'd be able to find happiness with someone other than Miaka.

He shook himself, shrugged off the thoughts.  "We should leave her," he said.  "She needs to rest."

"Excuse me, Hotohori-sama."

He turned toward the voice.  "What is it, Chichiri?"

"Someone should stay with her so she won't be so frightened when she wakes up, no da."

Hotohori considered, nodded.  "Yes, you're right.  Very well, Nuriko, would you take first watch?"

The violet-haired seishi grinned widely.  "Hai, Hotohori-sama."

"Good.  Someone will come to relieve you in a few hours."

The group filed out of the room, each going off in different directions.  Miaka and Tamahome walked hand-in-hand toward the gardens, Chichiri dragged a complaining Tasuki off to practice spells, and Chiriko hurried down the walkway to the library to study. Hotohori caught up with Mitsukake outside the room where the girl lay sleeping.

"Mitsukake, a word, please?"

"Of course, Heika," the taller man said.  The two walked down the walkway to a bench that faced the pond, sat down.

"That wound," Hotohori began.  "Did it look to you the way it did to me?"

Mitsukake nodded solemnly.  "Nakago.  I'd recognize that kind of injury anywhere."

"That's what I was afraid of.  What does Nakago want with a peasant girl?"

The other man shook his head.  "I don't know, Heika, but if he's after her for something, then we must do what we can to protect her."

"I agree," the emperor said.  "I must speak with my advisors, go see Chichiri, if he senses anything out of the ordinary, alert me right away."

"Hai."  Mitsukake stood, walked briskly down the walkway, away from the room where the sleeping girl was being watched over by Nuriko.

Hotohori stood as well, cast a long glance at the closed door of the room.  He would, he very well knew, do more than everything in his power to protect that girl from Nakago.  As emperor, it was his duty to ensure the well being of all his subjects.  As a seishi, it was his destiny.  He sighed.  When she awoke, hopefully, some of the answers they were all seeking would be found.

In the small bedchamber, Nuriko settled gracefully into a chair beside the bed.  He had a feeling that the girl would be out for some time, so he got comfortable, expecting a long wait.  He swept a calculating look at the girl's face.  He'd seen the way Hotohori-sama had looked at her, with that same praising, intrigued look he'd given Miaka.  Nuriko knew that nothing and no one would tear apart the miko and Tamahome, and he was sure Hotohori knew, too.  Of course the emperor would be looking for someone else suitable to be empress.

The slim, petite seishi sighed.  It'd been all right, for a while, to be in love with the emperor, even knowing that nothing could come of it.  Now, as they were brothers, it was not right.  Nuriko knew he had no right loving another man, a man who'd never be able to love him back, and he was okay with letting it go.  He looked again to the slender, athletically built young woman unconscious on the bed.  When she woke up, he'd see what she was like.  He hoped she was good enough for his Hotohori-sama.

She was certainly beautiful enough.  The long hair looked soft and silky, and as a breeze drifted through the open window, a few strands caressed her cheek.  Her features were angular, hawk-like, a sharp contrast to the round, baby-like features of Miaka.  Her cheekbones looked razor-sharp, her nose small and pert.  Her chin had a small cleft in it.  Full, pink lips and pale, creamy-white skin complimented the dark hair.

Nuriko smirked.  The young girl's beauty rivaled that of Hotohori-sama, something that the young emperor hadn't seen until Miaka came along.  This girl was beautiful in a completely differently way than the miko, more exotically so.

Anxious to see what this girl's personality was like, Nuriko settled down to wait until she awoke.

Hours later, she hadn't stirred, and Nuriko's eyes were beginning to droop.  He slumped in the chair, yawned once, and dropped off to sleep.

In another room, in another hall, Tasuki frowned at Chichiri.  "What the fuck are you talking about, Chichiri?  How do you recognize her?"

The blue-haired monk shook his head.  His mask, the one that covered the angry scar over his left eye, lay beside him.  Tasuki had known for a few weeks now, and Hotohori had known almost immediately, but he had yet to address the rest of the seishi about it.  "I don't know, no da," he admitted.  "But something about her triggered my memory.  Something about when I was a child."

Tasuki said nothing.  Chichiri didn't talk about his past much, and when he did, it was more advantageous to shut up and listen.

"I was fifteen," Chichiri said, his one chocolate eye distant in memory.  "There was something going on in the village, no da.  Important people, coming to visit..._na no da!"_

The flame-haired bandit jumped at the outburst.  "What?  What is it?"

"That girl... that's Jiyuna... the princess of Hokkan Koku, no da!"

Tasuki stared at Chichiri.  "She's a peasant.  She's dressed like one, and the way she was runnin' from those bastard thieves was not the way a princess runs."

"No, Tasuki, listen, no da."  Chichiri edged closer to him.  "The emperor of Hokkan feared for his family's life.  The emperor of Kutou was searching for the secrets of how Hokkan's seishi called their god, no da.  He sent them away.  Sent them to my village for a short time, and then they moved on after a few weeks, na no da."

"So what you're tellin' me is that she was raised a peasant, but she is, in fact, fuckin' royalty?!"

Chichiri grimaced.  "Language, Tasuki, no da."

"Are you going to tell anyone?"

"No, no da.  When she wakes up, she can tell them.  If she even knows, no da."  Chichiri sighed.  He wasn't stupid, he had certainly put two and two together, and knew what was going on.

Nakago knew that she was royalty, and had gone after her… but for what?  What exactly did he want?


	2. Hey, you're a princess!

Search for the Shinzaho: Take Two

_Chapter Two:  Hey, you're a princess!_

Later in the evening, Hotohori made his way back to the room where the sleeping girl was.  Having not heard anything from Nuriko, he assumed she was still unconscious.  He breathed deeply, glad for the fact that he could dress down.  He had on simple robes, and his hair pulled back into a loose ponytail.  The most comfortable change he made, he thought with a slight smile, was getting rid of those ridiculous ceremony shoes, and wearing his boots.

He crept silently into the room, saw Nuriko passed out in the chair beside the bed.  Approaching the chair, he reached and shook the seishi gently on the shoulder.  "Nuriko," he whispered.  "Nuriko…"

The thinner man stirred, opened his eyes.  "Hotohori-sama," he said.  "Is she awake?"

"No, she's not.  But you've been here for while.  It's time for a break.  The other seishi are in the dining room, eating supper.  If you hurry, you'll make it before Miaka eats everything."

Nuriko stood, stretched his stiff limbs.  He realized it was rather unbecoming for a lady to stretch in that manner, but he was beyond caring.  "Arrigato, Hotohori-sama," he said around a yawn.  "You'll be all right?"

The young emperor was staring at the girl in the bed.  "Hai, I'll be fine.  Go on, get some food."

The violet-haired seishi stepped lightly from the room, closing the door silently behind him.

He wasn't sure why, but Hotohori had the distinct feeling that he was supposed to watch over this girl. As a suzaku seishi, he protected the Miko, and somehow, this felt the same way. He folded his body and sat down in the chair previously occupied by Nuriko. Once sitting, he relaxed. He let his shoulders settle down to a comfortable position, and crossed his legs at the ankles. He ran a country, and so everyday, he had to keep a cool, dignified posture. He had done it for years, but his advisors forgot that he was only eighteen years old. Much of his childhood was lost in political matters. Sometimes, only for a second, he loathed bearing the weight of all the responsibility. He was an emperor, and a suzaku seishi on top of that, but he still bore the weight. Whenever he saw how happy his people were, it made it all worthwhile.

He stared at the girl, studying her face.  A few strands of hair had been blown over her face, and without realizing he was doing it, he had reached across and swept them back.  How was it that he felt such odd feelings for a girl he'd never even spoken to?  He smirked as he thought of her being stupid and aloof.  But the way she looked, from her athletic body, to the sharp angles of her face, told him she was a bright, strong woman.

As his fingers skimmed over her jaw, the girl in the bed moaned, stirred.  Hotohori thought she was rousing, but then noticed sweat beginning to form on her forehead.  She began to toss and turn, thrashing wildly in the bed, the sheets tangling around her legs.  A nightmare, he realized, she was having a nightmare.

"Okaasan… no!" she yelled.  "You stay away from her, bastard Kojin!"

He smirked a little at the language.  Tasuki and this woman would get along quite well… then the words she had uttered sunk in.  'Kojin,' she had said.  How many of those were there roaming around the four countries?  It had be Nakago… it made sense.  The thought lit a spark of anger in the emperor.  Nakago had been in his country, and he hadn't even known it!

"OKAASAN!" the girl screamed.  She began to thrash much more violently, gasping sobs erupting from her throat.  Not knowing what else to do, Hotohori rose from the chair, sat on the edge of the bed, and did his best to soothe her.

"It's all right, you're safe now," he said gently.  He touched her shoulders, intending only to console her.

She sat bolt upright, awake and frantic, and let out an ear-splitting shriek.

"No!  Get away from me!  I don't have it!  I don't have the shinzaho!"  She struggled against Hotohori, who was trying to calm her down… and doing a rather poor job of it.  She was in a strange place, and there was a strange man touching her, she went straight into defense mode.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he insisted, and was rewarded to with a fist to the side of his head.  A little annoyed now, he shook her slightly harder.  "I fight against the Kojin," he said loudly.

That sentence made her stop fighting him.  "Against?" she echoed.

He nodded.  "My friends brought you here after they found you in the city."

The events of the day came rushing back to her.  The thieves, running away, the pain in her side, and the two voices.  The guy with the cheery face who had helped her.  What was that name she heard?  Chichiri, that was it.  Suddenly, everything that happened, from her mother being killed to her reaching the city, bore down on her and she collapsed into sobs, falling limply against Hotohori's chest.

"H-he killed Okaasan!" she wailed.  "He just showed up, demanded a "shinzaho," and when we didn't have it, he killed her!  Just pulled out his sword… and… and," she broke off, sobs muddling her words.

Hotohori said nothing, simply held the shaking body, stroked the soft hair.  The ridiculous thought that she had the most amazing crimson eyes popped into his head for one moment.  _The shinzaho_, he thought darkly.  _What do you know, Nakago?_

The young woman pushed herself out of his arms abruptly, wiped her face with a sleeve.  "Gomen ne," she said.  "It's been a very long and trying few days."

"Don't be sorry."  He smiled lightly.  "My name is Hotohori, and they…" he said over his shoulder as the door burst open and the rest of the seishi and Miaka ran into the room, "are my friends."

The six people stood at the foot of the bed, smiling down at the girl.  In turn, they introduced themselves, and she logged away all the names, hoping to Suzaku she'd remember them all.

"I'm Jiyuna," she told them, casting a glance around at them.  They were certainly a diverse group of friends, she noted, and also very close.  It didn't seem to bother them to stand nearly on top of each other, giving quaint little looks and winks to another.

A guard suddenly flew into the room, nearly colliding with the group.  "Heika-sama, I heard a scream, are you all right?"

Hotohori stood from the bed, and suddenly, he was tall, empowering, and dignified.  "Hai, everything's fine.  Go back to your post."

The guard bowed quickly and exited the room.  Jiyuna tore her gaze back to the man who stood above her, eyes widened almost comically.  "Emperor?"

He was beautiful.  
  
In fact, "beautiful" hardly did him justice.  
  
A tall, almost intimidating man, the emperor of Konan was breathtaking. His dark, mahogany hair fell well past the middle of his back, with loose strands framing his stunning face. His face, indeed, was stunning. Slender, with large, amber colored eyes, a small, upturned nose, and thin lips that rarely seemed to smile. His cheekbones were high and pronounced, and he had a strong, determined jaw.  
  
This was a man who fought like hell for the people he cared about, as well as what he believed in.

This was a man she could easily fall in love with, emperor or not.

"How do you feel, no da?"

The strange voice made her tear her eyes away from Hotohori and seek out the face.  There it was, amid the group, a cheerful, yet still slightly concerned face.  She knew that face, those happy eyes.  This was Chichiri.  "You," she said, smiling.  "You saved me."  
  


He grinned, but cast a knowing glance in the direction of a flame-haired man wearing colorful beads around his neck.  "Hai, but Tasuki helped too, no da."

Tasuki looked back at the monk, gave an imperceptible nod.  "I fried the sons of bitches," he muttered, looking embarrassed.

"Arrigato, Tasuki and Chichiri," Jiyuna said.  

Tasuki's flush deepened, and he grinned, revealing two fangs.  "Aw, don't mention it."

Hotohori eased himself back onto the edge of the bed.  "Can you tell us what happened, Jiyuna?"

Jiyuna cleared her throat, and her eyes became distant, remembering. "My mother and I live in a village right inside the country's border. Or, we did until three days ago. It was morning. I was in the bedroom, making the beds, and my mom was out in the other room, cleaning. We saw a bright blue flash outside, and then, the door just flew off the hinges and splintered everywhere. When the dust had settled, there was a guy with blonde hair and blue eyes standing in the doorway. He told us to give him the shinzaho."  
  
Upon her uttering the word "shinzaho," the seishi all glanced at each other. The girl didn't seem to notice and continued her story.  
  
"We told him we didn't know what he was talking about, but he insisted. 'Give me the shinzaho now, and I might let you live.' I told him to get out. We didn't have whatever it was he wanted. He smiled then. A blue light started to form in the palm of his hand, directed at my mother. I screamed out 'no!' and ran at her, shoving her out of the way. The ball of magic hit me, and all I could do was fall, and watch as the blonde man walked to my mother.  For some reason, I couldn't move.  He grabbed her by the throat and held her against the wall. Again, he asked for the shinzaho. Mother told him that she didn't have it. The blonde man, with a cruelness only the devil could possess, pulled out his sword and stabbed her through the chest.  Suddenly, I was able to move and I jumped up and ran out the back door, sprinting toward the woods.  That's how I got hit in the side.  He blasted me as I ran away, like a coward.  I should have stayed, fought him, but I didn't.  When I reached the woods, I knew the only chance I had at figuring out what was going was to get here, to the palace.  
  
The others listened intently. Tamahome frowned. Something seemed very wrong, but what it was eluded him.  
  
It was Chichiri who said what was on everyone's mind. "What does Nakago know, no da?"  Even though he and Tasuki knew very well the reason for Nakago's visit to Jiyuna, it wasn't their place to say.  And it seemed that Jiyuna didn't know, either.  
  


"If we knew that, we'd all be better off," Tamahome muttered.

"OF COURSE YOU WOULD!"

The thundering voice appeared out of thin air, and so did the old woman who was suddenly floating above the bed.

"Sunekake babaaaa!" Tamahome yelped.  "You scared me!"

"I'll do more than scare you if you call me that again, Tamahome," she warned.

Jiyuna was staring wide-eyed at the floating woman.  "W-what is that?"

"That's Taiitsukun," Miaka replied.  "She's with us."

"She's floating."

Taiitsukun focused her attention on Jiyuna.  "Did you think I'd walk here all the way from Mount Taikyouku?"

Jiyuna shook her head.  The others were reacting as if it were perfectly normal to see an old woman floating above a bed.

"Can you help us with this difficult puzzle, Taiitsukun?" Chiriko asked, his juvenile voice still two octaves too high.

"Of course I can, Chiriko," she answered, her voice softening.  "My dear Jiyuna," she began, floating down and closer to the girl.  "The shinzaho, what that man was looking for, is what the Suzaku no Miko needs to call Suzaku."

"Suzaku no Miko…" Jiyuna's gaze trailed around at the people in the room.  Seven… plus one… her eyes stopped on Miaka.  "That's you… and you're all the seishi!"

Tamahome blinked.  "I thought she knew that…"

"Apparently not," Mitsukake whispered to him.

"Do you think she knows Nuriko's a guy?" Miaka wondered.

  
"That's still debatable," Tasuki muttered, and found himself lying on the floor, the wind knocked out of his lungs.

Jiyuna was confused, and trying to ignore the commotion going on with the rest of the group.  "Why would a man come to the home of two peasant's and think we have something of such value?"

"That man was Nakago, Shogun of Kutou Country, and Seiryuu seishi," Taiitsukun said. "And, Jiyuna, you are no peasant girl."  
  
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Nani?  What the hell are you talking about?"

Taiitsukun floated still closer, until her face was only inches from Jiyuna's.  "That necklace… the one you have had since before you can remember, the one you never take off. Where did you get it?"  
  


Jiyuna reached automatically for the medallion tucked under her shirt.  She pulled out, for everyone to see.  It was simple, gold, and with an emerald in the center of it.  "This?  My father gave me this before he died.  I was just a baby."

The ancient woman grinned.  "You're only half right."

Chichiri understood immediately.  He looked to Tasuki, who had just picked himself off the floor.  "That's it, no da," he whispered.

"What's it?" Tasuki whispered back, creeping closer.

"He gave her the shinzaho before he sent them away.  That's why Nakago went looking for her, na no da."

Tasuki blinked.  "That was pretty fucking stupid.  He should have known that someday someone would figure the damn thing out and go after them."

Chichiri smiled.  "Tasuki-kun, you're smarter than you let on, no da."

The other seishi were as confused as Jiyuna was.  What was Taiitsukun trying to say?  "Your father did give you that, of course, but he's not dead."

"Not dead?"  The statement was like a slap to her face.  It was too much.  Too much was happening, too much information was being thrust upon her.  Her head felt dizzy.

Taiitsukun knew the next piece of information would be a blow, but the girl had to know.  "Jiyuna, you're the daughter of the emperor of Hokkan.  That medallion you're wearing is the shinzaho."

Jiyuna felt sick to her stomach. It couldn't be true, there was no way that she could be an emperor's daughter! "B - b - but, my mother always said that he had died right after I was born from a mortal wound in battle."  
  
Taiitsukun shook her head. "He sent you both away for your protection, and thought that giving you the shinzaho would ensure its safety as well."

Now anger kindled in Jiyuna's eyes.  "Did he now?  And, what, he just expected me to go throughout my life, never knowing who I was?  And putting me in danger like that!  What kind of father is that?"

"Jiyuna," Hotohori whispered, putting a hand on her arm.  "Don't say such things.  You don't know the circumstances."

"No, but I know the facts.  My mother is dead now, because he sent us away!  Because he thought that allowing his only daughter to grow up without a father would be safest for her!  It didn't work though, did it?"  She was furious now.  "It didn't work, because now I know that I had the power to save us both, and I was ignorant to it!"

"You're wrong," Hotohori spoke up, loudly enough for her to look at him.  "Even if you had known, Nakago would have killed you both.  He enjoys it.  He likes killing.  You were like flies to him."

The irritation in the emperor's voice made Jiyuna calm down.  He was right.  The look in those blue eyes when he stabbed her mother told her so.  He'd have killed them anyway, and he'd have won.  Now, perhaps she'd be able to help these people who helped her, and get her revenge at the same time.

She slipped the necklace off her neck, beckoned to Miaka to come forward.  "Suzaku no Miko, this belongs to you.  Use it well."

The group seemed to utter a collective sigh, but Miaka, who was absolutely bubbling with joy, threw her arms around Jiyuna's neck.  "Arrigato, Princess Jiyuna!" she gasped.

Princess?  Jiyuna shook her head.  "Miaka, no… call me Jiyuna.  I grew up on a farm, not in a palace.  I'm as royal as… well, just forget it, okay?.  Hopefully, that will help you stop that Seiryuu seishi.  He can't be allowed to hurt any more innocent people."

Miaka nodded, then turned to Taiitsukun.  "Now what?  We have it, we have the shinzaho!"

"NOT SO FAST!" the old woman boomed.  "Did you think it'd be this easy, Suzaku no Miko?  You must depart for Sailo at once.  The Seiryuu are probably already on their way to get other shinzaho."

"There's another one?"  Miaka's heart sank.

"Only when you have them both will you be able to call Suzaku and obtain your three wishes."

Hotohori stood from the bed.  "We'll leave at dawn.  I'll have supplies and horses prepared."

Taiitsukun looked back to Jiyuna.  "Highness, I'm afraid that you won't be able to go to Hokkan to see your father."

"What?  Why not?"

The old woman frowned.  "Because the Seiryuu were already there."

The words hit Jiyuna so hard she cried out.  "He's dead."

Taiitsukun nodded slowly.  "I am sorry.  I'd hoped you'd be able to meet him and take your rightful place one day."

Jiyuna looked up at the old woman.  "I understand.  I have no claim.  He's gone, and I don't have the shinzaho."

Miaka's eyes filled with tears instantly.  "Oh, Jiyuna-san!  That's awful!"  She looked down almost fearfully at the shinzaho still clenched in her hands.

"Miaka, I have no desire to take back what I gave you.  The country was fine without me for seventeen years, I'm sure they will survive.  Konan is more my home, anyway.  I grew up in this country."  She was tired.  She was so very tired, and wanted nothing more than to go to sleep and deal with everything in the morning.  She looked back to Taiitsukun, offered a tired smile.  "Thank you, Taiitsukun.  I know where I come from now, it's all I can hope to have from my past."

Taiitsukun nodded, knowing Jiyuna was being sincere.  She spun to the seishi.  "Good luck, my seishi."  And then she was gone, disappearing with a pop and flash of light.

The silence in the small room was deafening.  Jiyuna looked up at the seishi, saw them studying her.  "I'm all right," she told them.  "It's just still sinking in."

Hotohori peered down at her, concern etched on his face.  "Perhaps it's time for all of us to get some sleep," he said.  "We have an early day tomorrow."

The group muttered their agreements, good nights, and filed out of the room to go to their own.  Hotohori remained behind, still looking at Jiyuna.  "Take a walk with me," he said, offering his arm.

Jiyuna looked up at him, nodded.  "I think some fresh air is exactly what I need."

They stepped out of the room, walked down the walkway to the same bench Hotohori and Mitsukake had sat on earlier in the day.

"What are your plans now?" Hotohori asked her.  "Go back to the village?  Stay in the city?"  _Stay with me?_ he almost added.

She turned to look at him.  The little sliver of moon that hung in the sky cast his eyes into shadow, illuminated his hair, making it look silver.  "If it's okay with you and the rest of the seishi and Miaka, I'd like to accompany you to Sailo, see this through."

Hotohori nearly leapt with joy.  "I'm sure the others will be glad for the extra company.  We owe you much, Jiyuna."

"No, it is I who owe you," she said.  "If Chichiri and Tasuki hadn't come upon me in that alley, I'd be dead and the shinzaho lost."

The emperor leaned toward her.  "How is this feeling?" he whispered, placing a fingertip on her tunic where the wound was.

If she was having difficulties breathing, with Hotohori so close, Jiyuna conveyed nothing on her face.  "It's aching," she admitted.  "I think I need to get some sleep.  A lot has happened today, and I just can't take any more until my brain rests."

Hotohori smiled, and his amber eyes lit up.  "I understand.  Go, sleep, dawn will come early for you."

Jiyuna stood, and, not quite knowing how he'd react, and not really caring, she bent down and kissed the emperor gently on the cheek.  _What are you doing?_ she asked herself.  _You could be executed for this!  Kissing the emperor?!_  She was amazed to find she didn't care.  She had to feel his smooth skin on her lips.  "Good night, Hotohori-sama," she whispered.

"Oyasumi, Jiyuna," he told her.

When she walked back to her room, and the door had closed, Hotohori let out the breath he'd been holding.  Whatever he'd been expecting from this young woman, a soft kiss on the cheek wasn't it.  He touched the place where her lips had been, shivered.  He could definitely fall in love with her, he realized.

Hell, maybe he already had.  
  



	3. The Adventure Begins

Search For the Shinzah: Take Two

_Chapter Three: The Adventure Begins_

Alone in his room, Chichiri sat cross-legged on the floor, deep in meditation.  It had been a long day, and he couldn't get the image of a frightened 5 year old clutching her mother's hand out of his head.  He'd no idea Jiyuna would grow up to be such a strong person.  When she and her mother had arrived in his village, anyone who got close to the girl caused her to break down in hysterical sobs.

Except for Chichiri.  He'd known he'd always had a way with children, and he was remembering a day when he's given a grateful mother a break from her child.  Jiyuna was sitting on a rock, swinging her small legs and talking rather animatedly to a doll.  Chichiri had crept behind her, and pulled a flower seemingly out of nowhere, delighting the small girl.  Then they'd gone fishing.

Jiyuna had been sad, saying she missed her father, who had left one day for war and never came back.  Fifteen-year-old Chichiri knew the truth, of course, the whole village, and he longed to tell this tiny girl that her father wasn't dead.  It was then he'd seen the shinzaho gleaming around her neck.  No… he shouldn't say anything.  The emperor of Hokkan wanted it to be kept secret, and it would be.

At least, the girl wouldn't hear it from him.

Chichiri sensed Tasuki coming into the room, but didn't say anything.  The red-haired bandit knew better than to interrupt the monk until he was finished, so he sat on the edge of the bed and waited.  When he heard Chichiri's sigh, he knew the meditation was over.

"You all right?" he asked.

"I don't know, no da.  I feel bad, no da."

"'Bout what?"

The blue-haired man turned, fixed his eye on Tasuki.  "I knew the secrets that girl didn't, no da.  I spoke to her all those years ago, when she was only 5.  She told me how her father had died in war, and how much she missed him, no da.  I knew he was alive and well, and if I had told her, she might have been given the chance to meet him, na no da."

Tasuki shook his head.  "Chichiri, you can't blame yourself.  That girl's mother should have told her long ago… hell, her father should have told her.  But they kept her in the fuckin' dark, and didn't let her know nothin'!"

"That's why I should have told her, no da," the other man said softly.

"You know, Jiyuna'd be hitting you right now, if she knew this."

"Hai, no da.  She'd be upset that I knew the truth and kept it from her, no da."

Tasuki sat on the floor, pushed his face close to Chichiri's.  "If you're serious about that, you're more fuckin' stupid than I thought."  The bandit leapt up, began to pace.  "She'd hit you because you were beating yourself up over something that happened over ten years ago!  What the fuck, Chichiri?!  You know better than anyone that you can't change the fuckin' past!"

Chichiri sat on the floor, staring up at Tasuki.  He was right.  Tasuki was right.  The past couldn't be changed, so agonizing over it wouldn't get a person anywhere.  He nodded once.  "You're right, Tasuki, no da.  It's done, no da."

"Good.  Now go to bed, it's fuckin' late."

When the temperamental man had gone, Chichiri crawled into his bed, blew out the candle, and went to sleep.

Morning finally came, and as the sun rose on a brand new day in Konan Country, Jiyuna stretched, yawned, and opened her eyes.  Immediately, everything came rushing back to her, and she resisted the urge to just pull the blankets back over her and go back to sleep.  She was in the midst of her own adventure, she knew, and perhaps she'd find herself, who she really was, before it was over.

She'd already taken a step in that direction last night, when Taiitsukun informed her that she was the daughter of an emperor.  It was all so hard to believe, but she had the shinzaho, and she didn't think Taiitsukun would have made all that up.

  
A soft knock on her door had her sitting up.  "Come in," she said.

The door opened and Chichiri entered the room, looking cheery as he usually did.  "Ohyo, no da!" he greeted.

"'Mornin'," she muttered.

Chichiri sat on the edge of the bed.  "How are you feeling, no da?"

"Not too bad," Jiyuna admitted.  "Still trying to swallow everything from last night.  I want to be in denial, but it's hard."

He smiled enigmatically at her.  "Denial won't get you anywhere, no da.  Besides, I know that it's true, no da."

"Oh?  How do you know that?"

"Do you remember the village you and your mother were in for a week when you were young, no da?"

Jiyuna scrunched up her face, thinking.  "That one with the beautiful river running through it?  Yeah, I remember… why?"

"Do you remember going fishing, no da?"

"Fishing…"  Jiyuna's eyes grew large, and she stared at him.  At the pale blue hair, that did a funny little flip at his forehead.  "Oh dear Suzaku… you!  You took me fishing!"

Chichiri grinned at her.  "Hai, no da!  But Jiyuna, there's something I must tell you, no da."

She noted the difference in his octaves.  _This must be the serious Chichiri,_ she thought.

The monk took a deep breath.  "I knew who you were, no da.  The village did, and when you sat on that rock and told me that your father was dead, I wanted to tell you the truth, no da."

Jiyuna sat on the bed, unblinking.  "Everyone knew?"

He nodded slowly.  "I think that's why you were only there for a week, no da.  Your mother didn't like it.  She thought you'd find out before you could handle it, na no da."

"Instead, I never found out until after they were both gone."

Chichiri stood.  "I am sorry, Jiyuna-san, no da."

"No, Chichiri, it's okay.  The responsibility to tell me wasn't yours.  I appreciate you telling me now, though."

He leaned down and gave her a hug.  "Thank you, no da."

She smiled.  "You're welcome, no da.  Now get out so I can get dressed for breakfast."

The dining room was loud and boisterous when Jiyuna arrived.  Tasuki was doing some kind of impression with teacups, and Miaka was gobbling everything in sight.  Jiyuna sat down beside Hotohori.

"Here, I saved you this," he said, handing her a plate from under the table.  "If I hadn't, Miaka would have eaten it all."

Completely enthralled, Jiyuna watched her eat.  "Eat" wasn't really the word for it.  She inhaled everything, and Jiyuna wondered if she even chewed.  As she ate, she watched the seishi, joking with each other, laughing together.  They were a close group, she saw.  She hoped in time she'd be just as close with them.

"Hotohori-sama, are you coming with us?" Nuriko asked him.

The emperor nodded.  "The country's doing fine, and I think my advisors can handle me being gone for a short time."

Nuriko raised a slim eyebrow.  "Are you sure?"

"Of course I am," he snapped, then sighed.  "Gomen, Nuriko."

The small man stared at his emperor, deep in thought.  He looked so worried, his usually smooth, passive face was stressed, with deep worry creases in his forehead.

Hotohori caught the slightly older man's eye.  "I'm fine," he assured him.

After breakfast, everyone met outside the palace. Jiyuna was wearing robes Nuriko had given her from his cross-dressing days. She had thought that Nuriko was a woman when she awoke yesterday, and had become embarrassed when he told her that he, indeed, was a man. But, Nuriko had just smiled and said that it happened with everyone. Jiyuna didn't question about his cross-dressing, because, frankly, she knew it wasn't any of her business.

The emperor's advisors were throwing themselves at his feet, begging him not to go.  
  
"Please! We can't do this alone!" they shrieked.

Hotohori shook them off.  "Of course you can.  You did it just fine when I was young.  As a seishi, it is my duty to do what I can."

The other's grinned. Tasuki walked up behind him and clapped him on the back. "'Ey, Hotohori, I can watch after Jiyuna if you want to stay," he joked.  
  
Hotohori stiffened. "Thank you Tasuki, it won't be necessary." He walked over to his horse and mounted easily. The rest followed suit. It was then that Jiyuna noticed that there wasn't a horse for her.  
  
"Uh…."  
  
A hand reached down and touched her shoulder. She turned with a start and looked directly into the amber eyes of Hotohori. "You ride with me," he said. "We like to try to keep the number of horses down to a minimum, so Miaka rides with Tamahome, Chiriko rides with Mitsukake, and you ride with me."  
  
Jiyuna shrugged and grabbed onto the thin, but large hand of the emperor, and gracefully swung her leg over so she was sitting on the horse in front of him.  
  
Hotohori enjoyed the closeness that he achieved by having her ride with him. _Gods, she smells wonderful_, he thought and a secret smile curved his lips. Then, the group rode away toward Sailo Country, hoping to get there before the Seiryuu did.  
  
It was near nightfall when the group finally stopped to camp. Jiyuna slid off Hotohori's horse and stretched her aching muscles. The others followed suit, and soon, they were building a fire and setting up tents.  
  
An hour later, Jiyuna had wandered off into the woods. She had so much to think about, and sometimes, the others were a little overbearing. They were always asking "What's wrong?" and "Are you alright?" Jiyuna was used to talking about things when she was ready to. Her mother had never badgered her with questions, so these newfound inquiries were quite disarming.  
  
A hundred yards or so away from camp, she came to a river. Pure, blue water flowed freely over rocks, casting small ripples that silently lapped the edge. Smiling at the peacefulness of the river, Jiyuna sat on a large rock that overlooked it.  
  
She sighed heavily, and let her chin rest on her knees. She took a moment to appreciate her surroundings. The river, the tall, powerful trees that were covered in leaves and fruit, the songs of the many kinds of birds, all of them combined for a beautiful forest. Everything that had happened the past four days, all the pain, and anger and sadness, it all finally hit her in one terrible wave. It was the first time she could actually mourn her mother and the father she never got the chance to know. A sob escaped her lips, then another, and before she could even think about it, Jiyuna was sobbing. Tears spilled down her cheeks, soaking the robes where they covered her knees. _Why? Why me?_ the thought ricocheted off the walls of her brain, searching desperately for an answer but finding none. After what seemed like years, the tears stopped flowing, but Jiyuna couldn't get her sobs under control. Finally, she swallowed and hiccupped and dried her face with her sleeve. She could feel a headache coming on. One that wouldn't go away until she slept it off. She was about to head back to camp when a new thought entered her mind.  
  
_Hotohori_. The gorgeous emperor obviously felt something toward Jiyuna, whether it be fondness, friendship, or something else entirely. _And me? How do I feel?_ She laughed aloud helplessly and shook her head. Technically, she was royalty, but she had been raised a peasant. How could an emperor ever love her? Jiyuna was definitely enjoying the closeness between the two as they rode, but she knew that in the end, she would probably go back to the village and Hotohori would probably marry one of the many girls in his harem. _Probably, _she thought bitterly.  
  
A rustling sound behind her startled her. She turned quickly.  
  
"Gomen ne, Jiyuna-sama. I didn't know you were here."  
  
"Quite alright, Nuriko," she said smiling politely, but she knew that her face was all red and blotchy and Nuriko would surely know she had been crying. "I was just thinking."  
  
The pleasant expression on the purple-haired young man faded into a solemn one. "You have a lot to think about, considering all that's happened these past days." He approached the rock and crawled up beside her.  
  
For a moment the two sat in silence. Nuriko knew better than to push the young girl, but he was dead set on being there in case she did want to talk. And, in all honesty, Nuriko had to tell someone the thoughts that had been going through his head, as well.  
  
"The day Nakago killed my mother was the worst day of my life," she confided. For some reason, Nuriko's presence was more that of an older brother than the seishi with superhuman strength. _Gods, thank you for Nuriko_, she thought quickly. "But I feel as though my being here with all of you is meant to be. I can't explain it though."  
  
Nuriko swallowed. He knew that if he didn't say it now, he never would. "I understand completely."  
  
Jiyuna raised an eyebrow in question, but Nuriko was looking over the river, a far away look in his violet eyes as he remembered.  
  
"I was ten when my younger sister Kourin was killed."  
  
The girl sitting next to him gasped.  
  
"I went out one day, and Kourin decided to follow me. When she came running up to me, a horse went running past, and Kourin-" Nuriko broke off, unable to complete the sentence. He didn't have to though, the horror in Jiyuna's eyes told him that she figured out what had happened.  
  
"My father told me to forget about Kourin, but I couldn't. She was my little sister, and I loved her dearly. So, I went up to her room and put on her clothes. That was when Ryuuen ceased to be, and Kourin was alive and not dead. And since then, I have been Kourin."  
  
Jiyuna stared at Nuriko. He was still staring at the river, but was no longer trapped in the painful memory of his sister's death. "Nuriko…" she whispered, resting a hand on his slim shoulder.  
  
He turned to her, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks. "Jiyuna-sama, I have finally accepted the fact that Kourin is always with me, and I don't need to be her to keep her alive. But if I hadn't become her, I never would have gone to the palace, and met Hotohori-sama, and Miaka might still be searching for the seishi."  
  
She nodded, understanding what he said. Even the most terrible of disasters may have a phoenix waiting to rise from the ashes. _How fitting, that Suzaku is a phoenix_, she thought.  
  
"Thank you Nuriko," she said, pulling the young man into an embrace.  
  
He seemed shocked, then relaxed a little. "For what?"  
  
"For telling me about you. Now I know that I'm not alone, and you know how much it means to me." She was crying now. Nuriko clutched her robes, and allowed a tear to fall for Kourin. _Thank you, too, Jiyuna,_ he thought.   
  
Their embrace was cut abruptly short by a loud scream. "It's coming from camp," Nuriko observed. The two ran as fast as they could back to the clearing in the forest where they had laid the tents. When they got there, everyone was engaged in fighting off guys dressed completely in black.  
  
"They're assassins from Kutou!" Nuriko screamed. "Get behind me, Jiyuna-sama."  
  
Jiyuna scoffed at him. "Back? Are you joking? These guys work for Nakago, and they're gonna get their asses kicked!" She ran at the nearest one and kicked him squarely in the stomach. The man fell back with an "Oof!" Growing up in the village, Jiyuna was fairly muscular, and she had learned some martial arts from the eccentric old man that no one liked.  
  
Nuriko couldn't hide the surprise from his face. _She may be a regular girl, but damn, she's tough!_ he thought. One of the guys tried to get close to Nuriko, but he grabbed him by the arm and threw him across the clearing effortlessly.  
  
Tasuki was cursing up a storm because one of the guys had knocked his tessen out of his hands, but when he saw the guy Nuriko had thrown coming at him, he rolled out of the way and watched as the airborne assassin crashed into one of his own men. He then grabbed his tessen and screamed. "Everybody down!"  
  
The others looked at him and dove to the ground. Jiyuna arrived a second late, unaware of what Tasuki was about to do.  
  
"LEKKA SHIEN!!!!!"  
  
She knew those words, but couldn't place them. That is, until a flame shot out of the iron fan and fried the assassins. _Yesterday in the city,_ she remembered. Before she had passed out, she heard those words a moment before the thieves had been fried just like the assassins were.  
  
Tasuki blew on his fan. "Sayonnara, ya bastards!" he grinned.  
  
The others gathered around him. "Good work Tasuki-san," Miaka said.  
  
"Will they send more, no da?"  
  
Hotohori glanced at the night sky. Ominous black clouds had begun to roll in. "No," he said. "Not tonight. Everyone, to the tents. There is going to be a storm."  
  



	4. Jiyuna and Hotohori

Search for the Shinzaho: Take Two

_Chapter 4: Jiyuna and Hotohori_

Hotohori was right.  No sooner had they crawled into their tents for the night when the storms came.  The lightning flashed across the sky, angry streaks of blue, and the thunder rumbled so loudly it made the ground shake.  Rain poured down in torrential sheets, soaking the forest floor immediately.  Jiyuna was glad Chichiri had made the two tents waterproof.

She poked her head out of her tent, waved to Miaka in the other tent about ten feet away.  Miaka waved back, and then was pulled inside by Tamahome.  Jiyuna could hear her giggling.

In the tent with Jiyuna was Hotohori, Nuriko, Mitsukake, and Chiriko.  In the other tent with Miaka was Tamahome, Tasuki, and Chichiri.  Jiyuna laughed aloud when she heard a very irritated Tasuki yelp, then swear.  "I am not a fuckin' pillow, Chichiri!"

Chichiri's high-pitched voice carried as well.  "It wasn't on purpose, no da!" he protested.  "Miaka stuck her foot and tripped me, no da!"

"Jiyuna."

Hearing her voice, she pulled her now soaking wet head back into the tent, a wide grin still on her face.  "Hai?"

Hotohori smiled at her.  "Get some sleep.  We have another long day tomorrow."

She studied him, wearing a heavy black cape over his clothes.  "What are you going to do?" she asked.

"Stand guard for the night," was his reply.  _Because I refuse to let anything happen to you,_ he added to himself.  He pulled the hood of the cape over his head, and disappeared out into the raging storm.

Jiyuna watched him go, thinking to herself that he must be crazy.  _Only a crazy man would go out into that storm,_ she thought.  Lying down on her bedroll near the opening of the tent, Jiyuna watched him for several moments, then tried not to giggle.  The emperor of Konan looked so uncomfortable sitting rigidly against the trunk of a tree.  _Good night, Hotohori, be safe._  Her crimson eyes drifted closed, and she let sleep take her.

She was dreaming, she knew. Trapped in the past, there was her mother, her golden, smiling face standing at the fire cooking. Jiyuna felt tears sting her eyes. "Okaasan," she whispered. Then, her mother's face was replaced by Hotohori's. He was smiling warmly, dressed in his casual clothes, with his brown hair framing his face. Suddenly, the emperor's face dissolved and was replaced by the Kojin's. He grinned evilly and held up his sword, which was covered in crimson. The blood dripped off and pooled at his feet, where the lifeless form of her mother lay.  
  
Something was shaking her. "Jiyuna. Jiyuna, wake up." The voice seemed far away, and she couldn't take her eyes off Nakago. "Jiyuna, please, wake up."  
  
Then, Nakago's face began to disappear, and she realized she was back in the tent. Something wet was all over her face. She opened her eyes and saw Hotohori kneeling over her, his hands on her shoulders, his wet hair dripping water onto her face.  His amber eyes were wide and concerned, and when he saw she was awake, sighed in relief.  
  
"Hotohori." She wiped the water from her face.  
  
"Gomen," he apologized. "You were dreaming, and I was afraid you would wake the others."  
  
Jiyuna sat up. It seemed a lot quieter than it had been when she fell asleep. It took her a moment to figure out why. "Did the rain stop?"  
  
Hotohori grinned then. "Hai, and the sky is absolutely beautiful right now." He grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the middle of the clearing. "Look." He pointed up.  
  


Jiyuna looked up and let her mouth drop open in amazement. The sky was a velvet black color, but it was nearly invisible, for it seemed to be bursting with stars. There were so many of them, and there was no moon this night. She didn't even think there needed to be a moon, the stars allowed plenty of light to see by.  
  
While they were looking up, a falling star shot across the sky. "Wow," Jiyuna whispered. Then, the story her mother had always told her about shooting stars caught her memory.  "Hotohori, do you know the story about shooting stars?"  
  


He smiled, knowing full well what the legend said. His Suzaku symbol was, after all, the star. "No, what story?"  
  
"It's said that if two people see a shooting star while they are together, they will never be apart, and will be in love for eternity." It wasn't until after Jiyuna said those words that she realized what she was saying. Her face flushed bright red. "At least, that's what my mother always told me," she added quickly, hoping he would not catch the insinuation in the story.  
  
He had, of course, and Hotohori, too, turned a bright crimson. "I think that that is a very wonderful story," he told her. "Perhaps we should go to sleep before dawn rises and we are too tired to keep up with the others."  
  


But instead of moving toward the tent, they continued to stand in the clearing, staring at each other.  An uncomfortable gnaw of awkwardness began to chew at Jiyuna, and she started forward, intent on sweeping past the emperor, and going back to sleep before she did anything stupid, like kiss him.

But when she took that first step, dizziness erupted in her head.  A sharp pain stabbed through her side and she pitched forward, right into his arms.  He caught her easily, steadied her, but kept his hands on her hips.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"H-hai, I'm fine.  Just dizzy," she told him.  She tilted her head up, stared at him in the starlight.

Hotohori stared back, mesmerized by those eyes.  He hadn't noticed before, but there was a ring of gold around the red, and he knew he never wanted to look at anyone else's eyes in his lifetime.  He made no move to step away from Jiyuna, and when she leaned in and rested her head against his powerful chest, he gathered her in his arms, didn't want to let her go, ever.  
  
They didn't speak a word, and they stayed in the warm embrace for what seemed like years. There was no then, no desperate search for the shinzaho, no pain, no sadness, there was only Hotohori and Jiyuna, here and now, in an embrace that couldn't have been broken by the coming of the end of the world.  
  
Jiyuna felt all weariness leaving her body. All she felt was Hotohori's muscular arms surrounding her, keeping her warm, safe. All she could breathe was the rain from his cape that almost overpowered her senses. All she could hear was his heartbeat, strong and calming. _Gods, I think I'm falling in love._ The sudden realization hit her. Her first instinct was to break the embrace and run off, but she wouldn't lose him just when she had found him.  
  
Hotohori sighed contentedly. Jiyuna felt wonderful in his arms. Even though it was he who was holding her, he felt like she held him as well. As though, no matter what, she would never let him fall. _Gods, I think I'm falling in love,_ he thought. This girl, this beautiful girl, made everything he did everyday worth it. All the sacrifices he made for this country, for Suzaku, they meant nothing compared to what he felt when he was around Jiyuna. _I will make you my empress._

Jiyuna pulled back, but didn't step away from him.  She wanted to see him, to see that beautiful mane of chestnut hair frame that angular and stunning face, to see those amber eyes, full of… if she didn't know any better, she could have sworn that love.

The emperor stared down at her as well, and knew, knew in his heart that if he didn't kiss her now, his heart would simply break.  So as one hand slid up her back to cup the back of her neck, he leaned down, covered her mouth with the gentlest kiss he could summon.

_Oh, shit,_ she thought.  _He's kissing me!_  Hotohori's soft lips caressed her own, and she wanted to cry at how soft and undemanding they were.  She wrapped one arm around his waist, the other cupped the side of his face, and took the kiss deeper.

And as she melted, Hotohori lifted her in his arms, and carried her back to the tent.

Morning came very early for the travelers, Jiyuna and Hotohori in particular.  Suzaku knew how long they had been in that clearing, and when Hotohori carried into the tent, she curled up against him, his arm protectively and lovingly around her, and fell asleep.

Miaka awoke first by the loud rumbling in her stomach. She tried to move, but realized she was stuck. Sometime during the night, Tasuki had rolled and sandwiched her between himself and Tamahome. She pushed him away enough to dislodge herself from the sleeping seishi and went outside. She stood tall and twisted, her back groaning and cracking from sleeping on the hard ground. Miaka could tell that no one else was awake, so she wandered over to the other tent and poked her head into it.

The sight of Hotohori and Jiyuna snuggled together in the coolness of the morning made Miaka's heart skip a beat.  They looked so perfect together, it made her want to cry.

Her stomach rumbled again, and she decided to start looking for food.  
  
Back in her tent, Tasuki felt cold. The warmth that been there most of the night was gone. He inched backward and came in contact with a body. Thinking it was Miaka, he slid himself close and fell back asleep.  
  
Tamahome opened his eyes. He was about to greet Miaka good morning, but instead was greeted by flame-red hair and loud snoring.  
  
The peaceful silence of the morning was abruptly broken by a very loud and very angry Tamahome screaming "Tasuki! Get the hell away from me!"  
  
Miaka, who had been frantically searching through the saddlebags for breakfast, looked at the tent just in time to see Chichiri scrambling out. Then, the tent began to shake and move, along with grunting and the occasional punch landing.  
  
"Hey! I thought you were Miaka! Sorry!" Tasuki yelled back.  
  
That did it.  
  
"MIAKA?!?! YOU PERVERT!!!" Another rustling was heard, then Tasuki came flying out of the tent, followed by an enraged Tamahome.  
  
The others, Chiriko, Mitsukake, Jiyuna, Hotohori, and Nuriko, ran outside just as the poor bandit was flung across the clearing into a tree.  
  
They all cringed. It looked like it really hurt. But, Tasuki stood up, his face seething with anger. "Baka! It was an accident!" Then, he lunged at Tamahome, tackling him to the ground. "Gen-chan always triumphs!!" he yelled, pummeling Tamahome with his tessen.  
  
"Ow! Tasuki! That hurts!" he shielded his face with his hands, only to get hit on top of the head.  
  
"Nuriko…" the deep baritone of Hotohori's voice sounded.  
  
Nuriko stepped forward. He had seen Hotohori and Jiyuna lying together this morning, and knew that something must have happened last night. He made a mental note to ask - or better yet, beat if out of - Jiyuna later.  
  
"Break them up, please."  
  
A wide, evil grin spread across the seishi's face. "Of course, Heika-sama." He walked over to the feuding guys and effortlessly pulled them apart.  
  


"What is it with men and beating the hell out of each other?" Jiyuna muttered.  Miaka, who was standing next to her, giggled.

  
"Tasuki, Tamahome, why don't you two walk down the river and fill the water pouches?" Hotohori suggested, giving them a menacing, or-else stare.  
  
Tasuki's face went from pissed to scared. "R-r-river? As in water?"  
  
"Yeah, Tasuki." Tamahome sneered. "A raging river with white rapids."  
  
The mountain bandit turned white. He started trembling, but seemed to regain his coolness quickly. "Ha, that's alright. Let's go, Tama-chan or we're never getting out of this damned forest." He started off in the direction of the river.  
  
"DON'T CALL ME TAMA-CHAN!!!" he yelled, racing after Tasuki.  
  
The others busied themselves by tearing the tents down and getting the horses ready for riding.  
  
Jiyuna was helping Chichiri roll the bedding when a terrible, blood-curdling, woman-like shriek echoed through the forest. She jumped up, ready to fight whatever bad guy there was, but others didn't look very concerned. Nuriko glanced up, a wryly amused expression of his face, then went back to folding a blanket.  
  
"Nothing to worry about, Jiyuna-sama," Chichiri told her. "Tama-chan is just dunking Tasuki in the river, no da."  
  
She looked at him, confused. "Why would that make Tasuki scream like that?"  
  
Chichiri grinned. "Tasuki is terrified of water, no da."  
  
"Oh," she said. _That certainly explains the shriek._  
  
Hotohori had barely heard Tasuki scream. He was too enthralled with watching Jiyuna and Chichiri laugh over an inside joke.  
  
"It isn't polite to stare, Hotohori-sama," Nuriko said. He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, nearly startling the young emperor.  
  
His face turned several shades of red. What could he say? He had been caught.  
  
"Look, Nuriko," he said finally. "She's smiling. After all she's been through this week, and she can still smile."  
  
Nuriko nodded. "We're all still young. It's good that she's beginning to get over what has happened. Now, with you at her side, she'll get over it much more quickly."

  
The emperor raised a dark eyebrow.  "Dammit, Nuriko, how do you know these things?"

"It's called observation, Hotohori-sama.  Anyone within ten feet of either of you can see what's going on in your heads," he paused for a moment, "and your hearts.  I think it's wonderful, and what you both need.  But don't forget why we're out here in the wilderness."  The violet-haired man patted him on the shoulder and strolled away.  
  
The taller man frowned, feeling guilty. Here he was, thinking about Jiyuna, when he should have been concentrating on the task at hand, which was getting the shinzaho.  
  
A few minutes later, Tamahome and a drenched Tasuki came back from the river. A victorious smile was plastered on the blue-haired seishi, while the usually courageous bandit had a scowl on his handsome face and was muttering every foul word he could think of.  
  


Jiyuna saw how miserable Tasuki looked and frowned.  The two seemed to go it quite often, but it wasn't very fair of Tamahome to exploit the bandit's fear like that.  She pulled on a tent spike, and very wicked grin spread across her face.  If she just waited for the perfect moment… there!  Tamahome was right behind her.  She yanked as hard as she could and the spike came out of the ground, and out of her hands.  It flew behind and she heard a satisfying thunk and an yelp.

She spun around, one hand over her mouth in mock horror.  Tasuki was rolling on the ground laughing so hard tears were spilling down her cheeks, and Tamahome was sitting, rubbing the lump already forming on his head and staring at the spike.

"Oh dear Suzaku, Tamahome, are you all right?  I am so sorry!" Jiyuna said, rushing to him.  "It was stuck in the ground, and I didn't know you were behind me!"

"Oh, yeah, Jiyuna, I'm all right.  It's okay, don't worry about it."

"Miaka!  Get over here and kiss your boyfriend's head, I think I hurt him!"

Miaka bounded over, gave Tamahome a soft peck on the lump.  Jiyuna nearly cracked up at the lovesick grin that appeared on his face.  She walked past Tasuki and winked.  He jumped up from the ground and showed her his fangs.

"You did that on purpose?"

Jiyuna grinned.  "Hey, it's not fair when someone does something like what he did to you.  Let's just say you owe me one, Gen-chan."

He grinned again.  "You got it, Jiyuna-chan."

  
The group mounted the horses and headed down the road. After about a mile of riding, Miaka asked the question she had been dying to ask for a while. "How will we find the shinzaho once we get to Sailo Country?"  
  
"We'll have to go see the emperor and ask him about it." Tamahome told her.  
  
"But what if he won't let us have it?" she asked again.  
  
"Then we'll just kick his ass," Tasuki broke him. He had finally dried off in the sun and after Jiyuna's revenge was back to his usual antics.  
  
Jiyuna leaned rather heavily against Hotohori. She was exhausted, and her side still was not completely healed.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked.  
  
She looked up at his strong face, his proud eyes, his soft, silky hair. "Hai," she said.  "My side hurts, that's all."  
  
"We could have Mitsukake heal it for you," he offered.  
  
Jiyuna shook her head. "Someone might need it more than me." She still saw concern on the emperor's face, so she added, "Besides, I'm a tough girl, I can handle it."  
  
That caused him to smile. "We'll be stopping in a village tonight. Perhaps sleep on a real bed will help."  
  
They rode on. The forest thinned out to flat plains, with wheat swaying in the light breeze. Jiyuna breathed in the cool wind, loving the feel of it blowing on her face. She looked up again at Hotohori, and saw the breeze blow his hair back from the side of his face.  
  
Suddenly, Chichiri was beside them, frowning slightly. "Hotohori-sama, I feel a strong chi, no da. It feels like Nakago's."  
  
As if in response to Chichiri's feelings, the horses began to get antsy. They pawed at the ground and snorted loudly, throwing their heads around.  
  
"Jiyuna, go with Chichiri," the emperor said. She knew better than to argue with him right now, even though she was willing to fight. She transferred herself onto the back of Chichiri's horse, and watched as Hotohori pulled his sword out.  
  
They started over a rise, and she had the distinct gut feeling that the bastard who had killed her parents was waiting for them on the other side of the hill.  
  
Jiyuna could not have been more right.  
  



	5. Meet Nakago

Search For the Shinzaho: Take Two

_Chapter Five: Meet Nakago_

The moment the group reached the top of the rise, a blue chi blast flew past their heads.  
  
Jiyuna froze behind Chichiri.  That blast, that color, she'd recognize it anywhere.  _Nakago._  She felt a twinge of pain in her side as she remembered the blue ball exploding onto her skin.  
  
Chichiri had felt Jiyuna tense when the chi blast had flown by.  He removed his mask and turned to her, his one good eye full of concern.  "Jiyuna-sama…" he started.  
  
Jiyuna shook her head emphatically, hearing only Chichiri's voice, she hadn't looked up.  When she did however, she stared into an eye as crimson in color as her own.  The other one was forever closed due to a scar that extended from the arch of his eyebrow at an angle across to the top of his nose.  She stared at him, not sure what to say or think.  
  
He spoke for her.  "It's a long story, no da.  But remember this, Nakago will kill you without a thought, no da."  
  
She nodded.  His voice was so deep when he was serious, it didn't sound like him at all.  She was about to say something, when another voice interrupted.  
  
"Taking in peasants now, Miaka?"  
  
Jiyuna saw Miaka's eyes grow wide and heard the quiet whisper, "Yui-chan."  She looked in the direction the voice came from, seeing an angry looking blond haired girl sitting on a horse with a young, light brown-haired boy.  _They must have a history,_ she thought.  It was then she saw him.  
  
He was sitting atop his horse, blonde hair fallen over a pure blue eye.  He was glaring at Jiyuna, but with an amused smirk on his face.  Nakago, the man who had murdered her parents in cold blood, was little more than 25 feet away from her.  She shivered under his icy stare, why was he looking at her like that?  
  
Flanking Nakago on one side were the girl Miaka called Yui-chan with the other boy, while a tall, slender woman with auburn hair rode on his other side.  Her hair was long and braided, and she wore a form fitting leather outfit.  Behind them, were a slew of guards and assassins like the ones from the night before.  
  
"Suzaku no Miko," Nakago spoke finally, not tearing his eyes away from Jiyuna.  "This will be as far as you go.  I will not allow you to get to Sailo Country.  You have the first shinzaho, do you not?"  
  
"Do not answer him, Miaka," Hotohori said.  "Nakago, you will _not_ stand in our way.  We are going to Sailo Country, and we will get the shinzaho."  
  
Nakago smiled a little more, shifted his gaze at the emperor.  "Then, you will die," he answered simply.  
  
Another chi blast, directed toward Chichiri and Jiyuna, flew from the palm of his hand.  Jiyuna could only watch it as it got closer and closer.  
  
"NOOOO!"  
  
Jiyuna felt a heavy body fly into her, knocking herself and Chichiri to the ground.  She tried to sit up, but Tasuki had landed right on top of her.  "Dammit," he muttered.  "When are you guys gonna learn to fuckin' move when something is coming right at ya!"  
  


"Can we argue about it later, Tasuki?" Jiyuna asked, staring in horror as a wolf-like beast approached them, snorting and growling.  The three scrambled to get untangled, but the creature moved closer, crouched down, and lunged.  Jiyuna closed her eyes, bracing herself for the attack, but it never came.  
  
Just as the creature lunged, Nuriko jumped into its path, kicking it hard in the head.  The wolf-thing yelped in pain, recoiling back from Nuriko for only a second.  Then, it leaped again, claws bared and attempted to slash the seishi across the chest.  Nuriko jumped up, flipped, and landed behind the beast.  He grinned as the bracelets Taiitsukun gave him began to glow red.  They grew and extended up his arm, filling him with a new strength.  
  
Chichiri, Tasuki, and Jiyuna finally picked themselves off the ground, and Tasuki went to aide Nuriko while Chichiri led Jiyuna over to where Chiriko still sat on Mitsukake's horse.  Miaka stood next to him, brandishing a stick in front of her.  Jiyuna gave her a sidelong glance.  "Miaka, I don't think that's going keep the assassins away."  
  
The young Miko jumped about 4 feet in the air at the sound of Jiyuna's voice.  "Hyah!" she screamed, attempting to hit Jiyuna with the stick.  Jiyuna ducked and grabbed the stick out of Miaka's hand.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?  I'm on your side!" she yelled.  
  
Miaka smiled sheepishly, blushing.  "Gomen ne, Jiyuna-sama.  I didn't know it was you!"  Then, she turned back around and watched Tamahome, who was trying his damnedest to fight off a dozen assassins who attacked him at once.  Chichiri left the other three and went to help him.  
  
Jiyuna looked around for Hotohori frantically.  _Where is he?_ she thought.  A clanking sound made her turn to her right.  
  
There, engaged in battle with Nakago, was a very angry Hotohori.  Jiyuna watched with impressed fascination as he attacked and thwarted Nakago's attacks with great skill.  Suddenly, remembering there was another seishi, she looked up at Chiriko.  "Where's Mitsukake?"  
  
Chiriko pointed, wide-eyed, directly in front of him.  Jiyuna's gaze followed his finger and saw the healer fighting off the small boy who had been riding with Yui.  The boy had a weapon that looked to Jiyuna to be something of a toy, but also looked a bit dangerous.  He kept throwing it at Mitsukake, but the healer was quick and ducked around it.  
  
She looked back at the battle between the emperor and the shogun.  She almost leapt for joy when Hotohori disarmed Nakago, but gasped when the latter blasted him in the chest with a chi ball.  The emperor flew back and landed heavily on the ground.

The moment she started for him, three assassins closed in around her, grinning evilly.  Jiyuna started at all three, waited.

"Where are you going, pretty girl?" one asked.

"Me?  I'm not going anywhere.  But you… well, we'll just where you go."  _I have to get to Hotohori,_ she thought, panic beginning to tear away her calm façade.  She leapt at the men, using the skills she'd been taught.  A dropkick landed the first on his back, and the other two came at her at the same time.  She did a flip, landing with her legs around the smaller one's neck.  She spun to the side, heard his neck snap.  The moment she hit the ground, she rolled, coming to her feet to stare at the remaining assassin.  He sized her up, then backed down.  
  
Jiyuna ran to Hotohori's side, and saw blood seeping through his robes.  "Hotohori, are you all right?" she asked, cradling his head in her lap.  "Mitsukake, come quick!"  
  
The healer, thinking as quickly as he could, whistled loudly.  Tama-neko came running at full speed and launched himself into the air, only to land directly on the young boy's face.  The boy screamed and grabbed at the cat, trying to get him to stop scratching at his face.  
  
Mitsukake ran to Hotohori, and knelt at his side.  "Hang on, Heika," he said.  
  
Hotohori managed a weak smile at Jiyuna.  "I thought I had him."  Then, his smile faded as a shadow was cast over him and Jiyuna.  
  
"You."  
  
Jiyuna looked up at the where the mysterious voice had come from.  Nakago stood over her, an evil glint in his eyes.  "I will take the shinzaho from you now," he said.  
  
She stood up and stared directly into his icy gaze.  "Sorry… I left it in my other suit of armor," she spat out.  She hoped to Suzaku that he couldn't see the fear that she was feeling at that moment.  
  
"I see," Nakago said.  "Then I will just take you instead."  He reached and grabbed her roughly by the wrist.  His other arm snaked around her waist, and he dug his fingers into the wound.  Jiyuna winced in pain and a yip escaped her lips. "Ah," he smiled.  "I see this still hurts you."  
  
Jiyuna said nothing, but struggled against him futilely.  She looked down and saw Hotohori, a fearful look in his beautiful eyes.  He fought vainly against the unconsciousness that was coming on… If he could just stay awake… He looked once more at Jiyuna, remembering her face, then slumped against the ground.  
  
"HOTOHORI!!!!!!!!"  
  
The wail that rose from Jiyuna managed to make everyone stop fighting and look at her.  She was crying now, sobbing while still trying to extract herself from the grip Nakago had on her.  The panic had taken over all rational thought, and she couldn't think of what to do.  He dragged her toward his horse, ignoring the pleas she was sobbing out to let her go.  She spun finally, and kicked him as hard as she could in the shin.  She saw Nakago stumble only slightly, a scowl come over his face.  He pulled her close to him.  "That will cost you," he whispered.  Then, he picked up his sword from the ground and brought the hilt of it down on her head.  Jiyuna fell against him, unconscious, allowing him to lift her into the saddle of his horse.  
  
"If you wish to see her alive," he said to the rest of the seishi who were gathering around their emperor.  "Bring me the shinzaho."  
  
"You fucking bastard!" Tasuki screamed, and started to run after him.  
  
"Soi." Nakago called.  
  
The woman in leather nodded.  Then, she summoned a wall of fog to block the exits of Nakago, herself, and the others.  
  
"Dammit!" Tasuki screamed, stomping the ground angrily.  "How could we just let him fucking take her!"  
  
Tamahome came up behind him and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.  "We'll get him, Tasuki.  We'll get him."

Jiyuna awoke sometime on the ride back to wherever the Seiryuu were going.  She was sitting side-saddled in front of Nakago, and he had one arm around her as he reined his horse with the other.  Her head was throbbing horribly, and she wanted to simply throw herself off the horse and let it run her over.  Anything was better than allowing this murderer to hold her hostage.

Nakago apparently thought of that, and tightened his grip on her when he realized she was awake.

"What are you going to do me?" she whispered, not wanting the others to hear her.  The woman who rode beside Nakago, especially, creeped her out.

He looked down at her.  How in the hell did this peasant girl manage to survive?  He was sure he'd hit her so she'd be dead in a day's time.  "Wait," was her only answer.

When they arrived at their camp, Jiyuna saw it had already been set up for them.  Nakago reigned in his horse, dismounted smoothly, then plucked Jiyuna from the saddle.  He handed her over to the guards, with orders to put her in his pao.  Jiyuna felt like a possession rather than a person.

She was thrown roughly into a large tent.  Her side hurt like hell, and when she examined it, she saw the wound had reopened and was bleeding.  "Dammit," she muttered.  She looked around the tent. It looked to be Nakago's personal tent from the few articles of clothing that were lying around.  She sighed.  They had ridden for hours, and who knows how long she had been unconscious.  She was sure Hotohori would come after her, but how long would it take them?  And would they even be able to find them?

  
She was still looking around when the flap of the tent opening fluttered.  She turned, frightened, to see who had entered.  There, bathed in shadow, was the tall, looming figure of Nakago.  
  
"Nakago," she said, her voice thick with fear and anger.  He stepped into the torch light, looking different than he had before.  He was no longer wearing his blue armor, but was dressed comfortably in white robes with a maroon cape.  He swept his hand toward a chair.  
  
"Onegai, sit down."  
  
Jiyuna stood defiantly in the middle of the tent.  "What do you want from me?" she asked, meeting the cold blue eyes of Kutou's shogun.

  
Nakago chuckled, his hard features softening for a second.  "It's very simple. I get the shinzaho, you go free."  
  
"They won't give it to you."  
  
The blond man walked up to her, bent until their faces were less than an inch apart.  "Oh, but they will," he whispered.  "If that simpering emperor cares about you, they _will_ give me the shinzaho."  
  
Jiyuna backed away, and cursed herself for being weak.  
  
Nakago stood, brushing off whatever thought had crossed his mind.  "Just be happy that I don't kill you right now.  Especially since you had the shinzaho and managed to get away from me."  
  
The young girl became irate.  She jumped up from the chair, threw her hands in the air.  "I didn't even know that the necklace I had _was_ the shinzaho!  And if I had, I probably would have given it to you, because dying is not something I look forward to.  But now that I know what I know, I'm glad you don't have it, you bastard!"

  
She never saw the backhand coming.  It hit her across her cheekbone, sending her flying backwards onto the hard ground.  She grabbed her cheek, which was throbbing.  
  
Nakago was standing over her, still cool and calm.  "You will not address me in such ways.  Remember, I hold the power over whether you live or die."  
  
Jiyuna stayed on the ground.  _How am I going to get out of here?_  She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, more as gesture to ward off the cold coming through the tent opening.  It was then she realized that Nakago had not moved from the spot in front of her.  He dropped to one knee and grabbed her chin between his thumb and forefinger.  
  
"Hmm…" he looked thoughtful, then snickered.  "Maybe I will keep you around for a while anyway.  You could be good entertainment."  
  
She shoved his hand away roughly.  "Jiyuna does not entertain."  
  
Nakago nearly got a surprised expression on his face.  "Jiyuna?  So, that's your name."  
  
_Shit, that was stupid!_ She thought angrily.  
  
He smiled again.  "Well, Jiyuna.  It's late, and I need my rest."  He grabbed her by the wrist and started to drag her towards his bed.  
  
"N-nani?!"  She felt like a caged animal, scared, but perhaps slightly dangerous.  "NO!" she screamed and fought him with everything she had.  She clawed at his hand and arm, kicked his legs, and spat curses out like water.  
  
Nakago, however, did not even flinch.  He practically threw her into the bed, and crawled in with her.  Pinning her arms above her head, he lay on top of her to keep her from moving while he bound her wrists together with rope, and then tied the end of the rope to a leg of the bed.  As he lay on top of her, despite the loathe that she felt for him, Jiyuna could not help but think that he was really rather good-looking, for a heartless coward.  Nakago saw how she looked at him, and stared directly into her red eyes.  She stiffened beneath him.  What was he going to do?  She could feel her eyes widen to the point where they hurt.  Then, ever so gently, Nakago lowered his lips to hers and kissed her.  Jiyuna's head was spinning.  _What the fuck is he doing?_ she asked herself.  The truth dawned on her, then.  "Good entertainment," he had said.  
  
She tore her lips away.  "I told you, I don't entertain."  
  
He smiled.  "Could have fooled me."  
  
A loud, rather anguished shriek was heard right outside the tent.  Jiyuna and Nakago both turned toward the opening.  
  
"I demand to see Nakago!" a female voice was heard.  
  
"The shogun wants no visitors," a guard informed her.  
  
Jiyuna looked back to the man who still lay on top of her.  His eyes had narrowed to tiny slits.  "Soi," came the whisper.  
  
Almost as though she heard him, a girl Jiyuna recognized as one who was with Nakago today, came bursting into the tent.  
  
"Nakago-sama!" she gasped, looking at him laying on top of the girl he had taken today.  She glanced from Nakago to the girl and back again.  
  
The shogun pushed himself off the bed and stood before her.  "Soi, you ignore my orders," he said.  "You know I don't stand for insubordination."  
  
The girl became frightened and bowed deeply to Nakago.  "Gomen nasai, shogun," she said, then lifted her head to glare menacingly at Jiyuna.  "Nakago-sama, you shouldn't bother with her.  I can raise your chi, that pitiful peasant can not."  
  
Nakago got an amused look on his face.  "That pitiful peasant is mine, Soi.  And what I do with her or to her is no concern of yours."  
  
Jiyuna could only lay and watch as the leather-clad woman's face turned red with anger.  "Fine.  Have fun!" she said angrily.  Then, she turned to Jiyuna.  "And you… you better watch your back if you live through this."  Soi spun on her heels and exited the tent.  
  
Nakago shook his head. What was with her?  
  
"It seems you're quite the popular guy," Jiyuna piped up from the bed.  "The fact that she's jealous of me is actually rather amusing."  
  
He turned back to her, opened his mouth, and closed it again.  It was the first time she had ever seen the shogun struggle for words.  Whatever he was going to say, he shrugged off, for he silently walked back over to the bed.  
  
Jiyuna winced when he got back on the bed and pulled her body against his.  He had managed to grab her side that was still wounded and pushed against it.  Nakago noticed her flinching, and pulled back the blankets to see blood where it had seeped through her robes.  He sighed in annoyance.  "I don't want you to die before I get the shinzaho, so I suppose I should have that dressed for you."  
  
She rolled onto her back to glare at him.  "Hey, Nakago, don't do me any favors."  
  
He reached up and stroked her now bruised cheek.  "Good, good…keep that fire in you and we'll get along famously."  
  
Jiyuna glare at him.  How the hell was she going to survive this?


	6. Escape?

_Search for the Shinzaho: Take Two_

_Chapter 6: Escape?_

Author's Note: I suppose this would be where the story takes a more vulgar turn. So, for warning, there's some adult stuff ahead, no sex yet, but sexual themes, I suppose you could say. Enjoy, and please, I love reviews!

------

Back in a small village near where the battle had taken place, the exhausted and somewhat injured Suzaku group gathered in one room.  
  
The young emperor of Konan, still unconscious, lay on a bed, bathed in sweat from a nightmare, a fever, or both. Mitsukake knelt in front of the bed. He put his hand out, and the others watched as green orbs spilled from his palm.  
  
The healer dropped his hand a few seconds later. "He's healed, but he may be out for a while. He was really exhausted."  
  
The others looked at their emperor, concerned. "The only thing we can do is get some rest ourselves," Tamahome said.  
  
Slowly, they exited the room and went to their own rooms to sleep. Chichiri stopped at the door and looked back at Hotohori. _I don't think we'll be getting much sleep tonight, no da,_ he thought. He turned and walked grimly back to his room. _Jiyuna-sama, you better be all right, no da._  
  
Back in the room, the sleeping body of Hotohori twisted and writhed beneath the blankets. Sweat covered him from head to toe, making his robes and hair stick to him. His face was contorted in a grimace of pain and sadness, and though there was no one there to hear him, a pained whisper came over his lips.  
  
"Jiyuna…"  
  
-----

Nakago stared at her. "Take off your top," he said.

Jiyuna hugged herself as best she could with her bound wrists. "No, I told you, I don't entertain."

The man sighed in annoyance, then tore the piece of clothing from her body. "I'm not interested in that right now," he told her. "I need to check that wound."

"What, the wound that _you_ gave me?" She was being stupid, she realized. Fighting with the man who kill her in an instant was hardly the smart thing to do, so she shut up and dropped her hands to her lap. Nakago leaned in, inspected the wound. He touched her lightly with his fingertips, and the gentleness took Jiyuna completely by surprise. Then he pulled out a roll of gauze and, applying some ointment, bound her wound snuggly.

He rocked back on his heels, stared appreciatively at the half-naked girl sitting on his bed. She was a goddess, he thought. So beautiful, so perfect, even wounded. He longed to run his hands over all that creamy white skin, to taste it. The kiss he had given her earlier haunted him, made him want more, but not yet. She was still too angry. He could take her, he knew, without much of a struggle, but he wanted her to want him, too. Before she was rescued by her Suzaku wimps, she would.

He handed her a set of robes that he had procured from a whining Soi, and helped her into them. Then he climbed back into the bed, pulled her down beside, and went to sleep.

Jiyuna opened her eyes, blinked, and blinked again. Her surroundings were completely alien to her. A tent, with a few torches providing the only light. She was laying in a bed, and slowly, she came to feel another presence in the bed with her. She tried to move, and that's when it all came back to her.

Hotohori had been injured, and Nakago had taken her, to get the shinzaho. He'd dressed her wound hours ago, and they'd fallen asleep. She was more wary of what Soi might do to her than Nakago. The woman was completely in love him, but he didn't seem to realize it, or care.  
  
Jiyuna couldn't move, she realized, because Nakago had a strong arm wrapped possessively around her chest, she guessed so he didn't hurt her again. His hand was cupping a breast, something that made her more than a little uncomfortable. She shifted her body so she was staring at the Seiryuu seishi's face. _He looks so peaceful when he's sleeping,_ she thought. _Not at all like the murderous bastard he really is._  
  
She scooted over to the edge of the bed, eased herself to the floor. Nakago's arm slid from across her chest to rest on the bed. She heard him move, so she remained completely still. He sighed, and turned over, gathering the pillow under his head.  
  
Jiyuna felt a wave of relief wash over her. She sat before the bed to begin work on releasing the rope where it was tied to the leg of the bed. It took her ten minutes before at last the rope gave way and she was free. Sending one last glance at Nakago, she snuck out the tent and started running. She felt a terrible guilt at not killing the seishi. He did, after all, kill her parents and hurt Hotohori…  
  
The young girl shook her head and ran faster. If she could get to the woods, she'd be safe, then she could make her way back toward where the battle had been earlier that day.  
  
She was running so fast, so blindly, she didn't see the figure step in front her until they collided. Jiyuna sent the other person to the ground as she fell flat on her face.  
  
"What the hell?" a feminine voice broke through the silence of the still night. The owner of the voice leaned in to see Jiyuna's face. "You!"  
  
Jiyuna gulped. "Soi?" She was silenced from speaking another word as Soi grabbed her tightly by the shoulders and hefted her to her feet. The taller woman glared down at the shorter until Jiyuna felt she was 2 feet tall.  
  
"Hmph. I'm going to enjoy killing you." Soi said in disgust. Before Jiyuna could react, Soi's fist had launched forward, landing squarely in her left eye socket. She staggered back, clutching at her eye. Jiyuna shook her head, clearing the pain away. She smiled sardonically at Soi.  
  
"I was hoping you'd do that." Jiyuna balled up her fist, leaned back, and punched Soi in the mouth. The woman's head snapped back, and when she stood upright, she spat a glob of blood out of her mouth.  
  
"Bitch!" she yelled. She threw herself at Jiyuna, but was jerked backward by an unseen force.  
  
"Soi, enough."  
  
The smile on Jiyuna's face faded when she recognized Nakago's voice. _Shit!_ She backed away, hoping to be able to make a break for it, but was surrounded by guards.  
  
The shogun stepped forward, holding a torch in one hand. "You disobeyed my orders once again. One more time and I will not hesitate to punish you," he reprimanded Soi. Then, he turned to Jiyuna. "Jiyuna, you should know better than to think I would allow you to get away so easily the second time." He walked to her and grasped her arm. "Everyone, back to your posts. Soi, back to your pao."  
  
The woman muttered something unintelligible under her breath and sulked off toward her own tent.  
  
Jiyuna looked up at Nakago. "You know I had to try."  
  
He nodded, leading her back to his tent. "I wouldn't have expected any less," was his response.

After a few moments of walking, Jiyuna realized they weren't going back to his tent. "Where are we going?"

Nakago didn't look at her. "You tried to escape. That does not go without punishment."

-----

Jiyuna clenched her fists together, unclenched them, and clenched them again. She had iron shackles around her wrists and her arms were pulled above her head. Her arms had fallen asleep some time ago, so she did what she could to get the blood moving again.  
  
Nakago had left her in the guard's "capable" hands, which meant that, since she was shackled, he could touch her wherever he wanted to. Jiyuna had smiled when she realized they hadn't shackled her feet and the guard found himself speaking in a high voice for the rest of the day.  
  
Her eye hurt like hell. It was probably black to look at, and it was swollen completely shut. _So this is how Chichiri sees the world,_ Jiyuna thought bitterly. Chichiri…. Mitsukake, Chiriko, Tasuki, Miaka, Tamahome, Nuriko…. Hotohori, she wondered if she would ever see them again. She felt sick, a terrible feeling in her heart that she would never be able to hear Chichiri and Chiriko's wisdom, Tasuki and Tamahome's fighting, Nuriko's advice, Mitsukake talking to Tama-neko, Miaka complaining about being hungry, or Hotohori's soft, strong, deep voice anymore.  
  
"How is your eye?"  
  
Jiyuna practically slumped in her chains. "It's fine, Nakago."  
  
He approached her, looking to be in a very foul mood. His blond hair covered his eyes, and his lips were turned down in a scowl.  
  
"Oi, who poisoned your sake?" she asked, noting his shoulders in a slightly hunched position.  
  
He said nothing. Only regarded her indifferently. He hadn't wanted to walk to the tent where he had taken Jiyuna after her fight with Soi, but he supposed that he should do something before all his guards began to sound like women.  
  
"Nakago, onegai, let me down. I won't try to run again," she was pissed at herself for pleading with the shogun, but she couldn't stand being locked up. It was the one thing Jiyuna hated. She shuttered visibly as the memory came to her.  
  
She was eight years old, and already had a reputation for being a tough girl. The village boys thought it would be a great joke to play on her. One day, while working in the fields, a few of the boys grabbed her and dragged her to an old abandoned barn. They had tied her up in one of the stalls where the owners used to keep their horses, and then locked her in, turned out the light, and left her there. The whole night she stood against a pole, tied to it, terrified. In the morning, after her mother had become frantic searching for her, one of the town elders had found her. Jiyuna remembered that she didn't speak for a week. After she recovered from the ordeal, she had beaten the hell out of al the guys that were involved. From then on, she had been classified as almost a freak for doing what she did.

The tears hit so fast, she barely remembered how they started. In seconds, she was weeping, wishing she were anywhere but chained up in barren tent.  
  
Nakago looked startled as Jiyuna broke down, sobbing and started thrashing wildly at the chains. He walked up to her and unlocked the shackles from around her wrists before she hurt herself. The girl collapsed in his arms, nearly knocking him over. He got his arm under her knees and carried her back to his tent, completely confused.  
  
When Jiyuna finally got her sobs under control, she noticed she was in Nakago's tent. The shogun was standing over the bed where he had laid her, an odd look in his eyes.  
  
Mortification was all she could feel. She had cried in front of the one man she promised herself she wouldn't. _I am so ashamed,_ she thought. _Never show weakness in front of the enemy, baka!_ She repeated her number one rule over and over in her head.  
  
"Gomen… Nakago… for that undignified display of my own weakness," she managed to say, still diverting her eyes from his. A flush of crimson crossed her face.  
  
_Sorry? _ Nakago could hardly believe that she had apologized. He kept his cool and only nodded. If he tried now, they could still get some sleep until dawn. He grabbed her wrists and examined them. They weren't bleeding, but were very bruised from Jiyuna fighting against the shackles.  
  
She pulled her hands away shyly. "They're fine," she said shortly. Then, she lay back onto the bed, yawning. She barely saw Nakago crawl in beside her, because her one good eye was beginning to close from sheer exhaustion. She felt his arm go around her hip, keeping a safe distance from her side. Then, Jiyuna was asleep.  
  
-----

It was sometime before dawn when she awoke. The bed was moving, for some reason, and she could hear soft moaning beside her. Turning over, she saw Nakago, his head twisting from side to side, quiet whimpers disturbing the silence of the tent.  
  
Jiyuna knew she couldn't get away. The shogun had posted more guards to patrol along the woods, and basically had the camp surrounded, cutting off any means of escape she would have had. She sighed heavily, knowing she was stuck her until Nakago killed her, Soi killed her, or her friends brought the shinzaho. _No,_ she shook her head furiously. _I don't care if I'm here until my life ends, I won't let Nakago get the shinzaho, no matter how bad he wants it._  
  
The man to her left moaned again, this time more loudly. Jiyuna turned back to him. _He must be having one hell of a dream,_ she thought. Then, he opened his mouth, and said the one word that meant so damn much to her.  
  
"Okaasan…"  
  
The young girl was completely taken aback. _Mother? Why would he be saying "mother" in his dreams?_ At first, Jiyuna thought it only sounded like "Okaasan," but then he said it again, louder, and in a more painful voice.  
  
"Okaasan…"  
  
She sat up completely and got onto her knees. From beside Nakago, she stared down at him sleeping fitfully. Should she wake him, or let him continue to go through the torment that was evident from his face? She was about to just let him go, to suffer like he had made her suffer, but something made her feel pity for him. Pity, for the man who had ruined her entire life.  
  
Or had he?  
  
Jiyuna forced herself to think as clearly as possible about her present situation. What would have happened in her life if she had stayed in the village? She knew she probably would have grown up alone, without a husband. Her own bitter laugh echoed in her head. Those village boys were such fools, locking her up in the barn, for all they had done was make an enemy for life. After she had recovered, she never showed fear or weakness in their presence. In that respect, she supposed she was like Nakago. _Never let them see your weakness,_ Jiyuna, somehow, knew that that was the daily code the shogun lived by. Something terrible had happened to him, just as something terrible had happened to her.  
  
Now that she was gone from the village, she knew she would never go back. _Why torture yourself, Jiyuna?_ she asked.  
  
She was pulled out of her thoughts as a low, deep, tormented groan started in Nakago's throat. Going against her better judgment, Jiyuna reached down and grasped Nakago's shoulders.  
  
"Shogun," she said, loudly, hoping to wake him up. When he didn't respond, Jiyuna shook him. "Nakago!"  
  
Strong hands came up from the bed and grabbed her bruised wrists.  
  
"Ahhh…" she whimpered aloud. She looked down, and into pure blue eyes. Nakago had a strange expression on his face. He looked as though someone had just spoken his deepest secret to a crowded room. Seeing the grimace on Jiyuna's face, he let her wrists go, expecting her to release his shoulders. When she didn't, he sat up.  
  
"Why did you disturb me?" His voice was low, callous, a guarded expression adorning his handsome face.  
  
Jiyuna sat back on the bed, rested her arms on her knees. "You were have a nightmare," she said simply.  
  
Nakago glared at her. "I don't dream."  
  
"Tell that to your mother." She spoke without thinking, and immediately regretted her words. "Oh, Nakago, I didn't mean that," she apologized.  
  
The damage had been done, however, and Nakago wrapped his almost inhumanly strong hands around her wrists again. His face was actually full of anger, and when he spoke, the words cut through her like ice. "I said I don't dream, you bitch, and if you don't shut up, I'll let Soi kill you."  
  
Her mouth dropped slightly open. Something had definitely happened, else he wouldn't have gotten so angry. She pulled her wrists out of his grasp and crawled out of the bed. She laid down on the ground, hugging her robe tightly around her. _Might as well try to get a little sleep,_ she thought, _before I die,_  
  
But Nakago was still sitting up in bed. He had been dreaming, of course, but the memory was much too painful to even try to think about. He cursed himself for allowing the dream to even come to him. He kept it hidden away in the darkest corner of his mind. _Emotions cloud your judgment, only the weak show emotion._ Curiously, he looked at the beaten girl lying on the ground beside the bed. He had figured her to be one of his greatest conquests - after he had broken her - but it never came to that. The break down earlier took him completely by surprise. He frowned, forehead creasing in thought. What had happened to her to make her react like that?  
  
He cleared his throat, what the hell was happening with him? He felt…vulnerable, and consciously wanting to know more about this girl. He wanted to go walking, but he knew she would try to run the moment he stepped out the door. Nakago laid back down, sighing in frustration. He was.. feeling… too much. It has always been a point with him to act calm, cool, indifferent. No one was safe from his cruelness, he assured himself. But, then, his head dropped to the side and he saw the shivering form of Jiyuna, still lying on the ground. He knew she wasn't asleep, not even Ashitare could sleep on the hard, rocky ground. Turning his head purposefully, he stared up at the cream colored top of his tent. He willed sleep to take him, but it would not come.  
  
Jiyuna lay, freezing, in silent anger. She was angry with herself, first of all, for acting even slightly compassionate toward Nakago. He was a murderer, she kept reminding herself over and over, a murderer who killed her only family and messed up the life she had in the village. _What life? The life of living in fear, in solitude, afraid that people will call you bad names or give you strange looks? He may not have known it, and neither did you, but he probably saved you._ The words came out of nowhere, she tried to push them back, but she knew it was true. Nakago _had_ saved her, but lucky for her, he hadn't a clue.  
  
She was still scowling at the open air, trying desperately to sort out the random thoughts that were bouncing around her mind, when a squeak was heard right by her head. She lifted it, and looked at the ground. A rat - a huge rat, with black, dirty fur, and small, beady eyes - was scampering across the ground toward her, squeaking and wiggling its tail.  
  
Jiyuna held back the scream that rose in her throat. Before she even knew what was happening, she found herself back in the bed, clutching to Nakago as if her life depended on it.  
  
Nakago was staring blankly in front of him, not looking at anything when he heard the squeak. He had turned his head to where Jiyuna was lying on the floor, but she was no longer there. In the second it took to tilt his head, she had thrown herself on top of him and was grasping at his robes, strange sounds coming from her throat.  
  
He scoffed, pushing her away firmly. Afraid of a rat? This girl, who didn't seem to be afraid of anything, was afraid of a rat? "What's the problem? Afraid of a little rat?"  
  
The girl was trembling, her fear nearly consuming her, but she focused on Nakago, on his mockery, his amused face, and not on the rat that she could still hear shuffling around on the ground. She took a few, deep, shaky breaths. "N-no," she told him. She wanted to kick herself. How could she convince him that she wasn't afraid of rats when it was so clear that she was? "It.. just.. startled me… that's all."  
  
But Nakago had figured it out. His mouth twisted into a sneer. "Hmm, afraid of rats. Pesky rats, that bite, and scratch." He reached up and played with her hair, his fingers pretending to be a rat.  
  
Jiyuna almost cried out as fear gripped her again. "Stop it!" She hugged herself tightly, rocking on her heels as a small child would.  
  
The shogun's smile faded and he withdrew his hand. Now, he was really curious. He sat up, facing her small, curled up body.   
  
"Stop? But I've just begun to play, my dear."  
  
She felt tears sting her eyes. Angry, frustrated tears that she forced back. No way in hell was she going to let him see her cry again. She looked around the tent, wanting to get away from Nakago, away from the tent, but the rat was still there, sauntering around the ground. _Hopeless,_ she thought. _I'm stuck here._  
  
"Why don't you leave?" He waved toward the opening of the tent. "The guards have probably all fallen asleep by now. Oh, that's right. There's a nasty little rat blocking your way."  
  
Jiyuna whimpered, Nakago went on.  
  
"Rats are rather smart," he said in a matter-of-fact voice. "Smarter than humans are, occasionally. They run from danger, and they bite and chew their way through anything in their paths... including people."  
  
The image of a rat gnawing at her sent Jiyuna's head spinning.  
  
"It happened when I was eight!" she screamed. Before Nakago could remark, she continued, her words flying rapidly from her mouth. "The village boys all hated me, because I didn't have a father, and I was stronger than they. One day they grabbed me and drug me to an old abandoned barn at the edge of the village. They tied me to a post in the middle of one of the stalls and left me there that night. All I really remember were the bats that crawled through my hair, the rats that scratched and bit me while they tried to climb my legs, the spiders that scattered all over me, and the cold... the dreadful, bitter cold…" she trailed off, a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach as she remembered that night.  
  
Nakago listened in horrid fascination. "How were you found?"  
  
Jiyuna sighed. "The next day, after my mother convinced the village that I was missing, one of the elders found me. I didn't speak for a week after that incident. And when I finally left my house, I beat up the guys who did it to me. Ever since then, I've been an outcast in my village."  
  
Outcast. The shogun knew what that felt like. He forced the sadness that threatened to rise to surface away. He would not think about it, not now, not ever.  
  
But Jiyuna had noticed. She saw the fear and sadness that had crept into his eyes for a just a moment. "What is it, shogun?"  
  
He looked at her coldly. "What's that?"  
  
She gave an exasperated sigh. "You know what your problem is? You don't think about the most important things that happened in your life!"  
  
Nakago grabbed her roughly and threw her onto the floor, right beside the rat.  
  
"And yours is that you think about it too much," his voice was in its usual calm, deep, expressionless tone.  
  
The rat started toward Jiyuna and to her, she saw a hungry look reflecting in its beady red eyes. A scream welled up in her throat, and this time, she didn't hold it back. Right before the rat reached her bare foot, it's mouth hanging open, she was grabbed again by Nakago and pulled back onto the bed.  
  
"That was a warning," he said threateningly. "Speak to me in the manner you used earlier again, and I'll make sure you get chained up, in the dark, with the rats."  
  
The promise made Jiyuna completely quiet. _I can't,_ she thought. _If he does that, I'll go crazy. I can't possibly handle reliving that night again._  
  
"Good." It was almost a whisper. He reached out a hand and stroked her battered face. 


	7. Jiyuna vs Soi again

_Search for the Shinazho: Take Two_

_Chapter 7: Jiyuna vs. Soi… again_

It was morning. Jiyuna woke from a deep, dreamless sleep and nearly grinned at the welcoming sight of the tent being lit up with sunlight. She was warm, very warm, and after blinking her eyes a few times to adjust to the light, she realized why.  
  
Sometime during the night, Nakago had rolled on top of her, his face buried beside her head into her hair. His hot breath on her neck sent chills of pleasure running through her. Gods, the man smelled wonderful, the odors of vanilla and lemon intermingled, invaded her nostrils. She struggled against the comfort of her situation, even though it felt so damned good lying under him.  
  
_No,_ she scolded herself. _Don't think about that._ But, even as her mind said it, she was ignoring it. Lying still under the sleeping shogun, she unconsciously reached a hand up to smooth the soft, silky blonde hair back from his face. The unfamiliar contact caused him to stir, then awaken.  
  
He lifted his head from the swirling red locks of Jiyuna's hair, stared at her, an obscure expression on his face.  
  
Jiyuna's hand still rested lightly on his hair. She shyly pulled it away, waiting for him to roll off her, but he stayed there, that odd expression still on his face.  
  
"Nani?" she asked finally.  
  
"Why did you do that?" His eyes narrowed at her.  
  
The girl shrugged her shoulders, cast her eyes away from his. "I don't know..." she muttered.  
  
"After what I did to you last night, you still show kindness toward me. Why?"  
  
She pushed him, trying to get out from underneath the strong, muscular body, but he didn't budge.  
  
"Tell me."  
  
"Gods! I don't know! You're aren't such a creep when you're sleeping, ok?"  
  
Nakago's face fell. She had shocked him.. she actually shocked him.  
  
He was confused. This girl was making him feel things he did not want, nor have the time to feel, and why? Was it the smell of jasmine and peppermint that surrounded her like an aura and clung to her hair? Was it the compassion she showed all the time? Was it the tough exterior she put on that reminded him so much of himself? He didn't know. _Shimatta,_ he swore. He moved off her abruptly, swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood.  
  
Silently, he discarded his robes - much to the dismay and embarrassment of Jiyuna - and put his armor on. He walked to the opening of the tent, turned back to the bed where she still lay. "Your friends will be coming for you today," he announced. "I'll have to decide whether to let them live or kill them." With that, he exited with swish of his cape.  
  
"Baka!"

She rose angrily from the bed, cursing aloud. "Why the hell are you being nice to him, Jiyuna, he only killed your family." She began to pace back and forth in front of the bed. Would he really kill them? "Of course he would!" she answered her own question.  
  
A million thoughts and questions entered her mind. Should she try to escape again? What if she was caught? Surely, Nakago would allow Soi to kill her this time, in fact, he might even do it himself. But if she did get away, she could warn the others before they reached the encampment. Jiyuna wrestled with indecision.  
  
"Gah!" She gave up, feeling a headache work its way through her, and threw herself back onto the bed. It was then she realized she was still beyond tired. Pulling the pillow under her head, she curled up, hoping to get just a little more sleep.  
  
Just as she closed her eyes and began to drift off to sleep, a pair of hands grabbed her by her hair and ripped her painfully from the bed.  
  
"Why don't we finish what we started?" a female voice sounded.  
  
"Soi," she groaned. _This is not something I want to deal with right now._ Jiyuna was already angry, and Soi was not helping things.  
  
Jiyuna was thrown roughly onto the ground, moaned as a heeled boot dug into her back.  
  
"Come on, peasant, why don't you fight back?" the older girl sneered.  
  
The other laughed hoarsely. "Hmm, it couldn't be because you have your foot digging in my back, now could it?" Jiyuna managed to twist herself so she could grab Soi's foot, and pulled hard. She hit the ground with an audible "Oof!" escaping her lips.  
  
Jiyuna jumped up from the ground, and put a foot at the bared neck of the fallen Seiryuu seishi. "Do you really want to finish this?" she asked, a smirk resembling Tasuki's on her tired face.  
  
Soi opened her mouth to say something, but watched in amazement as Jiyuna flew off her into the nearby tent wall by an unforeseen force. She sat up, and saw Nakago standing at the opening, holding his hand out.  
  
"What the fuck is this?!" Jiyuna yelled. Her back pressed up against the wall of the tent, her arms straight, unable to move.  
  
Soi picked herself up off the ground, chuckling. "Are you forgetting that Nakago has powerful chi abilities?" She walked up to the immobile Jiyuna, and slapped her soundly in the face. She pulled back her hand for another one, but the deep, impassive voice of Nakago stopped her.  
  
"Leave us, Soi," he said.  
  
Jiyuna watched in wry amusement as Soi's face turned to extreme anger. "Nani?! Leave you?"  
  
The shogun nodded once. "We have some... business to take care of."  
  
The tall, auburn-haired seishi dropped her head and sulked out of the tent.  
  
Still pressed against the wall, Jiyuna fought all she could against the power that held her. She heard Nakago chuckling, and paused her struggle to glare at him. "What's so funny?"  
  
He smiled. "It's impossible to break the bonds of my chi. Not even Suzaku seishi can."  
  
A low growl formed in her throat. "What.. 'business' do we have, Nakago?"  
  
Nakago approached her, his sapphire-like eyes locked on hers. "A spy informed me that the Suzaku seishi and the Miko will not be coming today."  
  
Jiyuna's eyes widened. Not coming? They really didn't care, did they?  
  
He saw the look on her face, considered reaffirming her obvious doubts...then decided against it, simply shook his head. "Your emperor, Hotohori, has fallen ill, and the healer is still too weak from curing his other injury to heal him. They have postponed their 'rescue' until tomorrow."  
  
She sighed in relief, wanted to wipe the sweat that had formed on her forehead. Nakago saw this.  
  
"Oh, do not worry, Jiyuna. They will come for you. The difference between they and me is that they will never leave one of their own in the hands of the enemy."  
  
Jiyuna stared at him for a long moment. "Let me down," she said, her voice even.  
  
A harsh laugh from Nakago filled the tent. "Let you down? But I like you here..." his voice became soft. He strode up to her, traced a finger down her jaw line. "You don't like it here?"  
  
She couldn't breathe. She hated him, hated this man with all her soul... but his touch... gods, his touch! Jiyuna felt her resolve beginning to weaken, her intense fight against his chi dwindle, and finally, her body give itself to whatever he had planned.  
  
Nakago trailed his finger across her lips, smiled again, and... turned away? _What the-?_ she thought, completely confused as he walked out of the tent without another word. A few moments, the chi bonds dissolved and she fell to the ground with a soft thud.  
  
She sat on the ground, staring at the opening, half-expecting him to come back in. _This man is going to drive me completely insane!_ the thought screamed inside her head. It was then, while she sat dumbfounded on the hard ground, that she remembered what he had said.  
  
_Hotohori is ill?_ Her mind reverted back to the night they had bonded in the woods, staring at the stars. She felt ashamed. _How could I be enjoying being a captive of Nakago?_ Hotohori had strong feelings for her, if that kiss was any indication, and she knew she felt something toward the handsome emperor, but that was before Nakago...  
  
_Before Nakago?!_ Jiyuna slapped herself in the head. How could she keep forgetting that he was the enemy? Nakago was the boogieman parents told their children about, and here she was, feeling Suzaku-knows-what for him! She grumbled something aloud that sounded much like "damned men" and leaned heavily against the wall. Her thoughts drifted to the fact that she was starving and really needed to bathe.  
  
These new, much less mind-numbing ideas caused her to get up and see if there were any guards outside the tent. She poked her head out and was immediately reprimanded by three of them.  
  
"Lord Nakago says you aren't to come out."  
  
She sighed. "Well, go tell _Lord_ Nakago that his captive is starving and would also like a bath... _if_..." she added haughtily, "that's alright with him." Then, she turned and went back into the tent.  
  
Nearly ten minutes later, a guard came into the tent with a tray of food. "Lord Nakago apologizes for neglecting you.. but he's engaged with planning."  
  
Jiyuna grabbed the tray from the overweight guard. "The shogun shouldn't apologize for stupid things," she commented.  
  
The guard gazed at her with a semi-frightened expression on his face. "Anou... he said you will be taken to the lake to bathe soon." He bowed quickly and practically ran out of the tent,  
  
The famished girl scarfed down her food much like Miaka did all the time. When she was finished, she sat down on the bed and waited, and warm feeling going through her at the thought of being clean.  
  
Finally, when she thought she couldn't stand it anymore, Nakago entered the tent. "You wanted to bathe?"  
  
She nodded. "I know you don't want a dirty girl in your bed," she said.  
  
He spun around. "Follow me."  
  
The two walked to the lake in silence. Jiyuna stared at his back, he was in a normal mood when he had broken up the fight between Soi and herself, but something must have happened between then and now.  
  
They reached the lake, and Jiyuna stared at it for a moment. Clear blue water rested, unmoving, against the backdrop of a gigantic, snow-peaked mountain. "Wow," she whispered, her mouth forming a perfect O.  
  
"I will put a chi field around the lake after you get in. That way, you can't run away, and you'll have a little privacy." He cast her a sidelong glance.  
  
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. _Ah, what the hell..._ she thought to herself before dropping her robes and diving into the clear blue water. The moment she was in, she saw the blue light emanate from his hand, and the lake was sealed. That done, Nakago walked back up toward the encampment, leaving Jiyuna peacefully alone.  
  
The cold, crisp water felt wonderful against her skin. She washed the grime of the last few days away using a strip of her robe. The bottom had fallen into the lake and was not sealed away from her by Nakago's chi field.  
  
When she had finished, she swam laps around the lake, waiting for Nakago to return and lift the field. On her tenth lap, she heard the unmistakable voice of the Kutou shogun. "You're time is up." He dissolved the field around the lake and held a large blue robe open for Jiyuna to wear. She slid into it, her long wet hair cascading down the back.  
  
The two said nothing as they walked back up, and Jiyuna was escorted back into the tent. She had looked at the sun before stepping into the tent, and saw that it was near dinnertime. _At least I the morning is gone,_ she thought. _Now, what the hell am I going to do for the rest of the day?_

She was sitting on the floor, juggling three stones when more food was brought to her. She ate, her boredom dissolving for an hour. When she was finished, she stared around the tent and sighed. "No fuckin' way am I hanging around doing nothing the rest of the day," she said. "Captive or no captive, it's time for a little fun." 

She stepped over to the closed opening of the tent, knelt. Lifting the bottom of it very slowly, she peeked out to see what the guards were doing. The two were sitting on the grass, looking as bored as she was. _Ha! This'll be easy!_ She stood up, walked back to the center of the room. Opening her mouth, she shrieked long and loud, enough that the two guards came bolting into the room.

"Jiyuna-sama, what is it?" one asked.

"A spider!" she shrieked, throwing herself at him. "A spider! It's _huge_ and it was on me!"

"Where is it now?" the other asked, looking around the floor.

"It ran under the bed. Please," she begged, clutching at the guard. "Find, kill it. I can't _stand_ spiders!"

"Of course, right away!"

The two dropped to their knees, peering under the bed. A spider attacking Lord Nakago's woman would never do. 

Jiyuna stood behind them, smirking. _Suckers,_ she thought, before tiptoeing away and out of the tent. Once outside, she took a deep breath of fresh air, and scampered off. She had no intention of trying to escape again, the memory of that first incident was still fresh in her mind as she fingered her swollen eye. But she could at least roam around the camp unnoticed, distracting herself for a few hours.

And here was the perfect opportunity. Suboshi and Soi were standing outside a tent, chatting in the sun. Soi was sitting gracefully on the ground, her long legs stretched out in front of her while Suboshi played with his weapons.

"I don't understand why I can't be allowed in the planning room. I'm closer to Nakago than that snake, Tomo."

Suboshi let out a breath. She'd been complaining about it for the last hour, and he was ready to kill her. He looked up, saw the girl Nakago had captured standing near the side of the tent. What the hell was she doing out? He opened his mouth to say something, but the girl put a finger to her lips quickly, then pointed at Soi, and raised her other hand. In it was a wriggling, completely harmless snake. Suboshi went back to his practicing so Soi wouldn't see that he'd been distracted, but kept an eye on the girl. Whatever she was about to do, he didn't want to miss it.

Jiyuna sighed in relief. When Suboshi saw her, she was sure she'd been caught and in big trouble. But the boy had gone back to playing with his weapons, and had given her a wink. _He must not like her much, either,_ she thought wickedly. She stood at the corner of the tent, directly behind Soi. She lifted the snake she'd caught, and tossed it. It sailed in an arc, plopping right into Soi's lap.

The auburn-haired woman screamed bloody-murder, and it was all Jiyuna could do to not burst into hysterical laughter right there. Suboshi was standing there, tears running down his face, watching Soi writhe on the ground, trying to dispense of the creature.

"Suboshi, get it off! I hate snakes! Aaaah!"

But his laughter was too much, and he crouched down, holding his stomach with one hand. Jiyuna waved once to him and took off trotting across the camp, knowing if Soi knew it'd been her, she'd be dead before nightfall.

She so busy being entertained at Soi's display with the snake she ran right into a hard body, and bounced off. She recovered quickly, but was met with an unsmiling Nakago.

"What are you doing?" he asked her, deadly calm.

"Entertaining myself," she admitted. "I was bored."

"Entertaining yourself," he repeated. "An escape?"

Jiyuna snorted. "Are you nuts? You have guards all over the place. I was only out to find something to do so I wouldn't be bored for the next five hours. You weren't coming back until nightfall, I figured."

"You were waiting for me?"

"No, I-" she stopped. In a way, that's exactly what she'd been doing. "Only because at least I can fight and argue with you. It's hard to do that with the guards."

His blue eyes clouded. "I see." He stepped forward, took her arm. "Back to the pao, now."

"That's where I was going, and I don't need you to lead me there," she protested, wrenching her arm from his grasp.

Nakago watched her walk back toward the pao, frustration all over his face. He was either going to kill her, or bed her until they were both exhausted. At the moment, bedding her sounded like so much more fun. He started after her, knowing that he'd take her, whether she wanted him to, or not.


	8. Nakago's Past

_Search for the Shinzaho: Take Two_

Chapter 8: Nakago's Past

Author's Notes:  A _biiiig_ warning here.  First, there's sex in this chapter.  Second, there are major spoilers here for Nakago's past.  All the information is taken from the translation of Nakago's novel.  The translation was done by Tetris no Miko, and I truly hope she doesn't mind that I used her translation to write about Nakago in my fic.  If you'd like to read any of the translations of the Fushigi Yuugi novels, go to my author's page for the link.

-----

When Jiyuna arrived at the pao, the guards were standing outside, looking uncomfortable.

"Jiyuna-sama!  We thought you had…" the one trailed off as Nakago came up behind her.

"You thought she had what?" he asked them, a dark look in his eyes.

"Uh, we thought she had, uh, gone looking for you, and you didn't want to be disturbed," the other guard finished.

"Did you find that spider?" she asked them, firmly enjoying their squirming with Nakago around.

"Yes, we did," the one said.  "And you were right, it was quite large."

Jiyuna nearly laughed.  Who knew there'd actually be a spider under that bed?  She went past them into the tent, followed by Nakago.

She sat on the edge of the bed, snickering to herself.  Nakago lit the torches in the fading light, took off his armor and cape.  Now clad in his pants and shirt, he turned and stared at Jiyuna.

"What?"  She sighed.  "Okay, I'm sorry I left, but what the hell was I supposed to do?  I can't sit and do nothing all day, I'm a worker."

He continued to look at her.  _I should kill her for disobeying me,_ he thought.  _But it seems a shame to waste a beautiful creature like that._

Jiyuna was becoming uncomfortable under his unblinking stare, shifted on the bed.  She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted as Soi came sailing through the opening, smiling sexily at Nakago.

"Nakago-sama," she said, barely casting a glance at Jiyuna.  "It's been days.  You need your chi raised."

"My chi is fine, Soi, and I believe I told you that I didn't want disturbed when I was with Jiyuna."

She scoffed.  "But, that girl is nothing!  She's not even pretty, for Seiryuu's sake!"

Jiyuna's eyes narrowed.  _Why that little whore,_ she thought angrily.

"Soi," Nakago rounded on her, eyes shooting cold fire.  "I don't want you here, now leave, this instant."

Soi looked ready to argue again, but the look in his eyes told her not to.  Instead, she turned to Jiyuna.  "I'll still be here after you're dead and gone," she muttered.

"Hey Soi," Jiyuna said.  "How do you feel about snakes?"

The woman's eyes went wide.  "Y-you bitch!" she hissed, starting across the floor to her.  She was nearly there when Nakago's hand wound around her arm, pulling her painfully back.

"Go.  Away," he said slowly, giving her a shove toward the door.  Soi stumbled and caught herself, looked at the two, and fled from the tent, sobbing.

"That was unwise," Nakago said to Jiyuna.

The young woman shrugged.  "No more than she deserved.  That scene she pulled earlier was way out of line."

"Why are you so content?" Nakago asked.  "You're being kept here against your will, yet you're strangely all right with it."

"I'm not all right with it," she shot back, anger filling her face and voice.  "I don't want to be here, but since I am here, and I'm not leaving, I may as well make the best of it."

"Hn," Nakago said.  Those words made him smile.  "I suppose you're right."  He approached her, slowly, deliberately.  Jiyuna wasn't sure what was going on, but she suddenly couldn't move.

"W-what are you doing?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Taking what I've wanted since I realized I hadn't killed you," he answered her.  He shoved her back on the bed, leaned toward her.

Jiyuna was frozen.  If he kissed her, it'd be all over, she knew.  There'd be no fighting it, but total surrender.  She couldn't let him kiss her.  She tried to push him away, but he was so strong, and wouldn't move.  "Shogun, don't," she said.

He paused, less than an inch from her face.  "Why?"

She didn't have an answer, Suzaku help her, she didn't have an answer!  A whimper escaped her throat, a helpless sound.  He was looking at her with those cold blue eyes, and his face was so serious, she had to see if he was made of stone.  Jiyuna reached a trembling hand up to touch his cheek.  Something flickered in his eyes, and his cool composure seemed ready to crack.  "I don't know," she whispered.

Nakago's eyes sharpened, and then he crushed his mouth to hers.

Jiyuna didn't know where the dizziness came from, but she was helpless to stop it and could only ride it out.  Nakago's lips were surprising soft, if not desperate.  Before she could stop herself, she wound her arms around his neck, drew him closer, and took the kiss deeper.

He was amazed that she was urging him on.  This girl should have hated him with all her body and soul, and yet, here she was, twining her hands in his hair.  She tasted so amazingly exotic, it nearly killed him.  He fisted his hands in that long, silky hair and pulled her toward him.

She didn't know how it happened, but Jiyuna was suddenly sitting up, on Nakago's lap, tugging at the buttons on his shirt.  She wanted to feel that pale skin, those hard muscles, the beating of the heart she knew was there.  His lips burned a hot trail down her neck, and when she felt the scrape of teeth against her flesh, she could only moan.

His shirt was gone, she'd slid it off his shoulders and threw it on the floor of the tent.  She ran her hands over his broad shoulders, down his back, and back up again.

He'd never felt this way, not with any woman, not even with Soi.  It was terrifying.  The heart he'd never used felt like it would pound out of his chest.  Jiyuna completely unbalanced him, and frankly, he was scared shitless of it.

He was trembling.  Jiyuna could feel the quick jerks of his muscles under her hands, pulled back a moment to stare at him.  She wanted to ask him why he was shaking, but the question died on her lips as he parted her robe and allowed his hands to skim over her breasts.

She arched back, her breathing hissing between her lips.  Those hands tugged, pinched, and caressed their way over her, down to her abdomen, and beyond.  Leaning up, Jiyuna fastened her lips on his neck, where she could feel his pulse.  It was pounding harder than she thought a heart was capable of beating, and it seemed to actually skip a beat or two as she sucked and nibbled the hot skin.

Nakago's hands gripped her arms, eased her back onto the bed again.  This time, his lips burned a hot trail down her neck, to her breasts.  Jiyuna moaned, and somewhere in the back of her mind, a small voice was screaming, _what are you doing?!?!_  She ignored it and pulled his head back to up to claim his lips once more, working on the fastening to his pants as she did so.  The cloth fell away, and they were both naked.

Pressing her into the mattress beneath them, Nakago lifted his head and stared at her.  She stared back, her breathing unsteady, her face flush with arousal.

"Now," she whispered to him.  "Now."

It was all the urging he needed, and he leaned down and caught her bottom lip between his teeth as he took her.  Jiyuna didn't want gentle, she wanted fast, passionate lovemaking.  Something that would make them feel alive, and wanted.  Nakago knew he couldn't have been gentle if he'd had to.  As they approached the acme, he let a low, guttural sound escape his lips, and collapsed on top of her.

They lay like that for several moments, until their breathing had returned to almost normal.  Nakago rolled off Jiyuna, stared at the ceiling.

She snuggled closer to Nakago, feeling her eyelids grow heavy with sleep.  The sweat on their skin was cooling with the breeze that blew in from the opening of the tent.  Nakago wound his arms around her, uncomfortable with how good it actually felt to hold someone.

He knew there was no future between them.  His plans didn't allow it, and Jiyuna had already been claimed by Konan's emperor.  He'd seen how they sat atop his horse a few days ago.  The emperor had an arm around her waist, a gesture that had plainly said, "mine."  Nakago wondered, a smirk coming to his face, how the emperor would react with the knowledge that he'd had his beloved first.

Nakago stared at the girl in his arms with something akin to wonder on usually stoic face.  He didn't deserve this.  He didn't deserve to enjoy this woman he could never have.

He'd killed her parents, and tried to kill her, without a second thought.  Yet, there wasn't hatred in her eyes when she looked at him, nor malice in her voice she spoke.

It was so very _wrong,_ he decided.  He half-expected to wake up in a few moments, knowing it was all a horrible dream.  Horrible, not because of what they'd done, but because he wouldn't have really felt the things this beautiful woman made him feel.

Nakago sighed.  He should have never tasted heaven, knowing he'd just be tossed back to hell.

Still, he reached out a strangely trembling hand to smooth red-hair back from her face, at least he'd been allowed a taste, even if he'd be longing for it the rest of his life.

The touch of his hand made Jiyuna sigh and move closer, resting her head on his chest.  _Dammit,_ Nakago thought.  The crazy ideas flying through his head shouldn't have even existed.  He should have been able to block them out like he did all others.  Her continued presence made it impossible, though.

So, he decided, the solution was simple.  Allow the Suzaku seishi to rescue her, and she'd be gone, out of his life where she didn't fit to begin with.

But what about the shinzaho?  He had the second already.  He'd sent Tomo ahead to Sailo country to find it, and his cunning and intelligent seishi hadn't disappointed him.

He had one, they had the other.  Even if Jiyuna was left to go back to them, there was still that problem.  And conflict, no matter how much he enjoyed it, would be difficult.  
  
Could he really try to kill her again?  Could he really keep Soi from killing her if she had the chance?  Did he really want to?

Nakago was thinking too much.  He looked down again, at Jiyuna sleeping soundly on his chest, the rest of her body tucked against him, and felt something strange tugging at his insides.  He didn't think he could do it, and that was a problem.  He'd never felt guilt at killing anyone… except…

"Okaasan," he whispered.  Shaking his head violently, he frowned.  Where had that come from?  Shoving it to the back of his mind, he shifted down, steeped himself in the scents of peppermint and jasmine that seemed to radiate from her pores, and drifted off into the first dreamless sleep he'd had in ages.

-----

It was still dark when she awoke, though it was eerily quiet outside.  She guessed it must have been sometime before dawn, those hours where everything was asleep, including the insects that usually chirped and twittered in the night.

She stared up at Nakago, looking so much like a god in his deep sleep.  The blonde hair was swept away from his peaceful face, the strong, muscled arms that lay around her were limp.  She marveled at how relaxed he was in sleep, not on-edge and tense as he was in his waking hours.

Suddenly wanting to be out of the misleadingly gentle hold, she carefully extricated herself from his arms, sat up.

Oh, gods… what had she done?  Jiyuna reached down and lifted her discarded robe from the floor, wrapped it around her, and stood up.  Her legs threatened to give way, and she stood still for a moment, until she was sure they'd support her, and walked to the door of the pao.  Sticking her head outside, she saw the guards had disappeared sometime in the night.  She stepped out into the coolness, let the wind blow her hair back.

She'd just slept with Nakago, the sworn enemy of her friends, of her new family.  Hotohori entered her mind, and she nearly began to cry.  What would he do, she wondered, when he learned of this betrayal?  Would he be angry?  Hurt?  Would he send her away, vowing to never speak to her again?

It was unforgivable, what she'd done.  She betrayed her beloved by sleeping with another man, an evil man, a man who had tried to kill her, would probably do so again.

What the hell was wrong with her?

"Fuck," she whispered, almost inaudibly.  "You're an idiot, Jiyuna," she said to herself.  "A true idiot."

The cool air was beginning to make her cold, so she went back into the tent, avoiding looking at the man who still slept.  She sat down in the chair by his table, crossed her arms over her chest.

There was definitely an attraction to Nakago that she'd never felt for anyone else.  The way she felt toward Hotohori was love.  With Nakago, it seemed so much more animal, so much more primal.  Explosive, yes, but love?  No, there was no love there.  She could never love a man like him, a man who couldn't love in return.

So it was simply a reaction, she decided.  A reaction to being stuck with him for days, a reaction to the tension.

Yes, she was an idiot.

Lifting her head, she looked again at the man who lay sleeping, the sheets pooled at his waist, well-built chest rising and falling with his breath.

He'd know it, she thought.  He'd know it was a mistake from the start, one that would never happen again.  One that should never had happened in the first place.

Wouldn't he?

Nakago stirred, rolling over in the bed to face her.  He must have felt her absence because his eyes flew open and he sat up.  When he saw her, sitting on his chair, robe pulled protectively around her, he knew.  He knew she regretted it.

So why didn't he?

"You're awake," he said, coming to a sitting position on the edge of the bed, the sheets covering him.

Jiyuna nodded, unable to speak.  What would she say, anyway?  "Hey, it's been nice but you're an evil bastard," didn't seem appropriate at the time.

They stared at each other in silence until Jiyuna stood from the chair, paced the room.

"I've decided to allow the Suzaku seishi to rescue you tonight," he told her.

Jiyuna stopped in her pacing, stared at him.  "Nani?"

"You're of no use to me, now, since I have the other shinzaho.  I'll allow you to leave here, with them, until I see fit to take the shinzaho Suzaku no Miko has."

"You're _allowing_ me to be rescued?"

He stood from the bed, pulled his pants on.  "Everything that has happened has been according to my plan."

"Including sleeping with me?"

A smirk appeared on his lips.  He strode over to her, rested a hand on her cheek.  "That was a pleasant deviation from the original plan," he said.

Jiyuna slapped his hand away.  "Oh, of course it was.  After all, when I first arrived here, you told me that I would be entertainment.  Have I entertained you enough, Shogun?"

The smiled died on his lips.  _Of course not,_ he wanted to say.  _I'm unsure I could ever get enough of you._ But he remained cold.  "I'd say it has been sufficient," he told her, his voice a deadly whisper.  "Now go, rejoin your beloved emperor and explain to him what happened here tonight."

"I could tell him you raped me," she said, the strength from her voice gone.  "He'll kill you for it."

Nakago closed the space between the two, locked his hands behind her back to pull her forward against him.  "You won't tell him that, because it isn't true.  Your one flaw, dear Jiyuna, is your honesty."  He leaned down and kissed her hard.  "Go before I change my mind and kill you now."  As he released her, he shoved her toward the door.

Jiyuna stopped, one foot out of the pao, and turned back to him.  "I hope my face haunts you, Nakago, like your mother's does."

Then she was gone.  Nakago stood in the middle of the pao, rage showing clearly on his face.  How dare she?  How dare she say anything about his mother?  She didn't even know what happened.

He clenched his fists together, took calming breaths.  No, she was gone now.  Jiyuna was gone, and with it went the memory of her lips on his, her hands sliding over his back, her soft moans…

Jiyuna stalked through the camp, irate with herself.  It was just like her to have to get that last jab in, and it would probably end up costing her life later.  Still, he was the one made her realize that it had been his plan all along to get her into his bed.

She let out a frustrated growl.  Oh, she had wanted him, she knew that, and it made her even more upset that he'd simply cast her out after he had his fill.

Then there was Hotohori, and all the other seishi.  How would they react to knowing she had slept with the man they'd been fighting against all along?  She knew she'd be alone after this.  She'd go to a village, any village, as long as it wasn't her home village, and live in solitude for the rest of her life.  It was all she could do.

As she went past a tent, she heard a soft, lilting voice from the shadows call out to her.

"So, you're the one that Nakago-sama has been keeping."

She paused, turning toward the voice.  "I am, but he's let me go."

"Yes, I know," the voice replied.  "But you're so very under-educated, Jiyuna."

Squinting into the shadows, Jiyuna stood her ground.  "Who are you?"

"I am Tomo, one of the Seiryuu seishi.  You've not had the pleasure of meeting me yet."  A man stepped toward her, and she simply stared at him.

He was tall, very tall, with hair longer than her own.  His thin body was clad in a black tunic and trousers, with his face entirely painted.  He wore a headdress of feathers, which ran the length of his shiny silver hair.

"So, you're the one to got the Sailo shinzaho for him," she said.

Tomo nodded once.  "My dear, there's something you must see.  Please, come in."

Instinct told her to run while she could.  It could have been trapped planned by Nakago to not let her free after all.  Her death could have been waiting in that tent, yet her curiosity was simply too much.  She had to know.

She entered the tent slowly, crimson eyes darting around as she did so, searching for any signs of a trap.  The tent proved to be highly decorated, much more so than Nakago's.  An elaborate bed was in one corner, with a dressing table along the opposite wall.  There was also a wardrobe near the bed, doors open, showing several outfits within.

The light was warm and soft, and Jiyuna felt herself relaxing somewhat.

Tomo entered behind her and pulled the flap closed.

"What do I have to see?" she asked him.

"Allow me to explain things first.  My powers are that of illusion.  I am able to put anyone in an illusion for as long as I need to, and they believe it, right down to tasting food.  However, I am also a very good listener, and I heard the conversation between you and Nakago-sama as he told you leave."  He stood in the middle of the room, faced her.  "You want to know about his mother?  I can show you."

"Show me?"  Jiyuna was clearly confused.  How could he _show_ her that?

"Hai," Tomo answered.  He held out his hand and Jiyuna saw a small clam in the center of his palm.  "This is Shin," the taller man stated.  "He will show you what happened to Nakago-sama when he was a child."

"How do I know this isn't some trick?  Why would you want to do this for me?"

Tomo's amber eyes narrowed.  "There are things that people must understand come a time.  This is the time for you to understand why Nakago-sama is the way he is.  What you do with the information is up to you, but I have a feeling about you, that you do not exploit people's darkest secrets.  Well, if you're ready?"

Jiyuna nodded.  Shin opened in Tomo's palm, and she was suddenly no longer in the pao.  She was standing in what seemed to be a small village, with shabby huts scattered around.  It was night, but there was an awful rumbling noise coming through the ground.  She looked up, and saw an army coming swiftly toward the village.

"Run!  Kutou soldiers are here!" she heard a man cry out.

Spinning around, Jiyuna saw the door to the shabbiest hut open and a young mother and son come out of the house.  Jiyuna knew it was Nakago right away.  The way the hair lay across his forehead, the pure blue eyes.  But it was not the Nakago she knew.  This was a child, and a gentle one at that.

Jiyuna followed the young Nakago's gaze, saw a girl about his age running toward them, several soldiers following behind.  "Ayuru!" the girl called.  "Ayuru!"

"Taria!"  The child tried to run, but his mother held him back.

"You wait here," his mother said, then began to sprint across the gap that separated her from the young girl.  Miraculously, she reached her before the soldiers did, scooped her up in her arms, and started back toward Nakago.

The young boy began to run toward her.  "Mother!" he called.

The moment he reached her and the little girl, the soldiers caught up.  The stood behind the young woman, sword points at her back.

"Okaasan!  Taria!" he yelled.

He came to an abrupt stop, staring at the soldiers, at his mother and Taria.  The woman had pushed the little girl away from her, and was now on the ground, naked, with soldiers swarming on top of her.  Jiyuna walked close to Nakago – no, he was Ayuru in this world – stared down at him, and gasped.

His blue Seiryuu symbol was pulsing a vivid blue on the whiteness of his forehead.  He opened his mother and screamed the word "mother" so loud, Jiyuna took a step back.  Then, his whole body began to shake, and a blue glow emanated from him.  The glow seemed to explode, and went soaring straight at the soldiers who were raping his mother.  The soldiers were thrown back, killed instantly, and, unfortunately, so was his mother.

The young Ayuru then collapsed on the ground.

Jiyuna felt herself being lifted, and the scenery suddenly changed.  She looked around, seeing that it must have been the palace of Kutou's emperor.  In fact, it was the emperor's bedchamber… and there… in the emperor's bed, was… Ayuru?  Jiyuna thought she was going to be sick.  _First, the poor boy murders his own mother without knowing how, and now he's being molested by the emperor?_

The scene faded quickly, and suddenly, she was outside, seeing Ayuru standing before several people.

"Taria, you're alive!" he screamed.

Jiyuna looked over and saw that Taria was alive, but her heart sank as she realized that soon, she wouldn't be.  The girl was forced to knees as another soldier pulled out his sword.

Ayuru was screaming at Taria, who was screaming right back.

"I want to see his symbol!" the emperor yelled.

The soldier holding the sword raised it.

"I can't do it!" Ayuru screamed.

"Ayuru, it's all right, it's all right!" Taria yelled back.

Then something seemed to pass between the two, even as the sword came down, they were staring at each other, and Taria had a sad smile on her face.  As the sword struck the little girl, Ayuru bellowed her name, and explosion rocked the land.  The soldier's were torn apart, but Taria was lying between them as though sleeping.  Ayuru stepped forward, and Jiyuna saw the transformation on his face plain as day.  The gentle, kind heart died.  And the face became statuesque, emotionless.  Ayuru picked up the sword, and walked to the emperor.

"Your Majesty."

The emperor simply looked at him for a several moments, fumbling for words.

"I'm a Seiryuu seishi, for his majesty, and for Kutou, I have a duty to fulfill.  Call me "Nakago," your Majesty."  Jiyuna didn't miss the cold smile on Ayuru's face.

She was brought back to Tomo's pao, and she dropped to her knees on the floor.  "How awful," she moaned.  "How terrible.  I don't think I would have been able to live after all that."

Tomo was standing above her, a frown on his face.  He'd forgotten how horrible it had really been.  "Now you know what happened to Nakago-sama, and why he is the way he is."

"Why did you show me this, Tomo?" Jiyuna asked.

"Because, I know he would never tell you," he answered.  "Now, you must go.  I can feel the Suzaku seishi at the edge of the camp."

Jiyuna stood, nodded her head at Tomo, and whispered, "Domo," to him before running from the pao and toward the trees that lined the camp.  The images from Shin imbedded themselves in her head, and she kept seeing that eleven year old boy, screaming for his mother, while the power he could not control exploded from within him.


End file.
